Legend of Zelda: Sword of Souls
by Fiery Diamond
Summary: Legends long past, a new Link awakens to the role of Hero. Wielding the Master Sword and the Sword of Souls, he fights against the coming evil. But this Hero does not fight alone, for the Hero of Blades has close friends at his side. Posting again. R
1. Branded

**Notes:** Hello, friends, and welcome to my story. I've decided to get rid of my previous beginning notes and start afresh at the beginning as I go back through my posted chapters and fix all my too-numerous typos. So, I'd like to welcome you to reading this Legend of Zelda fanfiction (see, no need for disclaimers, you know that it's a fanfiction!) called Legend of Zelda: Sword of Souls. It is a brand new adventure for a brand new Link. This first chapter is a prologue of sorts – it takes place when Link is 11 and sets the story in motion. The main story starts when Link is 17.

_UPDATE: October 4, 2010: I'm no longer going back and editing because I'm a lazy guy, but I'm fixing the goofed up formatting caused by FF's screwiness. I MAY, in the future, fix all my typos/syntax errors/grammatical errors/etc., if my friend decides to proof my story. I'll let you know if that happens in the most current chapter._

If you have any comments or questions (other than your traditional reviews, which I welcome happily so long as you don't tear me to shreds in them) feel free to send me a message on fanfiction and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. I appreciate any reviews or other comments on the story, as it lets me know that others are in fact reading it (plus, as long as the comments aren't negative, it makes me feel good, which is good).

Since I felt that the summary of the story was not long enough for me to express things, I'll write up a short story information thingy here.

**Story:** Link, an eleven year old boy native to the forest village of Ordon, wanders into the forbidden woods and encounters Dark Link. As a result, he ends up with the Triforce of Courage. Six years later, he sets out from his home to confront his destiny as the Hero. When he does, he comes across an ancient sword known as the Sword of Souls which is also a person: a girl named Aurora. Together, the two of them embark on a quest to right the wrongs and avert the coming disaster that will befall Hyrule. In the meantime, they meet many other people and make numerous friends. During this process, they discover that this quest is unlike any that the previous Heroes have faced. _Setting is far in the future of Ocarina of Time. The events of Twilight Princess either a)happened long ago and resulted in sealing rather than killing Ganondorf or b)didn't happen, and which one isn't particularly relevant. The map of Hyrule, a sketch of which can be found in my profile, is a combination of OoT, Twilight Princess, and original elements._

**CHAPTER ONE: Branded**

Location: Hoklir Forest, somewhere in the Mazewood (Kokiri Forest, in the Lost Woods)  
Time: Morning of the fourth day of the Summer of the 29th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

The eleven-year old boy wearing a simple villager's outfit looked around wide-eyed at his surroundings. He brushed his dirty-blond hair almost absently out of his piercing blue eyes. He wandered slowly, drinking in the unfamiliar woods' sights and sounds. This was the first time he had ever ventured into the Mazewood, the vast expanse of forbidden forest that spread out into the great beyond as an extension of the Hoklir Forest, the much safer and inhabited portion of the treed area. As a child, he was disallowed from entering into the mysterious wood; even the adults never wandered very far into its depths. Stories of all sorts existed about this place. Some claimed that it was filled with monsters, others that it contained fairies and other creatures of magic. One legend even held that deep within its heart existed a sacred place. What was known for sure was that magic held sway here, and it was easy for even the most experienced adventurer or forester to become hopelessly lost and wander within for the rest of his life. Attempts to log or burn away the Mazewood resulted in mysterious accidents, often the disappearance or death of those involved. As a result, the forest villagers left it alone and forbade their children from ever entering it.

None of this mattered to the orphan child who now silently gazed upon the magical wood. Having snuck away in the wee hours of the morning, he took along nothing but his clothes and some food for his excursion. Ever since he could remember, he'd been fascinated by the Mazewood almost to the point of obsession. He couldn't explain his interest, so he kept it hidden from the others as much as possible. The only one besides himself who knew the true extent of his enthrallment was his older sister, who took care of him in lieu of their dead parents. She constantly cautioned him against going and had had to stop him on several occasions. This time, however, he had managed to give her the slip, and he was now deep in the Mazewood alone.

It had been over five hours since he had reached the Divide, where the Hoklir Forest merged with the Mazewood. The wood became more and more mysterious and magical the deeper he went. Now, he could _feel_ the magic in the air, and he knew the place was completely saturated by the mystical. Occasionally he would catch a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye, only to see rustling trees or small animals when he turned to look. He felt as though the forest itself was watching him. For some reason, instead of frightening him, this excited him. At length, he stumbled into a clearing.

In the center of the clearing was a stone pedestal, marked with strange symbols he did not recognize. Only one picture was identifiable: that of a triangle made of triangles. His eyes slid up from the pedestal to what was lodged within it, and he gasped.

In the pedestal was a sword. Beautifully crafted, it gave off an eerie feeling. The cross hilt curved down toward the blade slightly at the edges, creating a slight guard. The steel of the blade thrust from the hilt down into the stone. It was an elegant weapon, but one thing gave the boy pause. The entire thing, both hilt and blade, was midnight black.

Hesitantly, the villager approached the weapon. He felt a tingling sensation as soon as he stepped within three feet of the sword. His whole body felt charged. Both intense longing and a sense of danger flared up within him. He knew, somehow, that to touch this blade would invite great things, both good and bad. He debated the wisdom of grasping the hilt of the sword, but the curiosity of a child was too great for him to withstand, and he wrapped both hands around the weapon.

The instant he touched the ebony hilt, a wave of energy that seemed to come from the weapon itself blasted in all directions, manifesting itself as air pressure. The pedestal cracked, and the sword came loose in his hands as he was thrown backwards by the force. He hit the ground on his back, and the sword slipped from his hands, skittering across the grassy floor as though it were marble. It began to glow with a dark shadow, and black vapor spewed out of the sword and swirled around it. As the boy sat up and stared, the vapor coalesced and condensed into a solid form – the shape of a young man wearing a tunic and hat, all obsidian black. The shade gripped the sword in his left hand and turned to face the boy.

"Well, well, what have we here? After all these centuries, someone has finally woken me up. And it's a young boy, too!" The shade's eyes burned red and he grinned. "Tell me, kid, what's your name?"

"Link," the boy replied, unsure whether to be amazed or scared. He slowly stood up.

The shade howled with laughter, and a chill ran down Link's spine. "Excellent, excellent! You have the same name as _him_. They _always_ have the same name as _him_. You _look_ a little like him too! I'll just have to get rid of you right now, and then I'll have free reign to do what I want!" The shade raised his sword and chuckled. "Sorry, kid, but I'm going to kill you now. I can't have you interfering, and if I let you go, you will."

_Kill me?_ Link thought. _What did I do here? What evil thing did I let free?_

"Who are you?" Link boldly responded. "You can't just go around killing people! That's wrong!"

The shade actually paused, apparently dumbstruck by the boy's naivety. " 'It's wrong?' Are you serious, kid? You think that I care that it's 'wrong?' Are you stupid, kid? What a joke! As for who I am… I'm the Hero's Shade, Dark Link."

"Hero?" Link was puzzled. "What hero?"

The shade looked flabbergasted. "You mean to tell me that the legend of the Hero of Time has already been lost? What the hell? Well, then, I'll just have to fix that. I can't have my counterpart lost to the world." He straightened. "But first, you need to die."

"Wait!" Link cried, wanting to hear more, but the shade struck with lightning speed, thrusting his jet black blade directly through the young boy's heart.

For an instant, everything stopped. Link knew that he must be dead, but he certainly didn't feel like it. The shade was frozen in place. Somehow, Link knew that his perception of time had changed. Had everything really frozen, or was he somehow aware and able to think within a tiny segment of time? Then the back of his left hand began to burn, and time returned. The shade stared in horror at the boy's hand, realizing too late what he had done. Burning with golden light was the sacred triangle, the Triforce. Withdrawing his sword, he cursed violently. Link stared down at his hand, dumbstruck. Then he noticed that he was still alive.

"What? How?" he managed, immediately glancing down at his chest. There was no wound, no blood, not even a trace of evidence that he had been stabbed. He was, however, wearing entirely different clothes. Instead of the simple shirt and pants that he had been wearing, he now wore a green tunic and beige pants. His unmarked hand rocketed to his head, and he found he was wearing a floppy pointed hat like the shade's, except that it, too, was green. Completely nonplussed, he struggled to make sense of the situation.

"Ergh… so stupid! Why did this happen?" cried the shade in extreme frustration. "Why did it transfer the golden power instead of killing him? Accursed goddesses!" He gripped his sword tightly and prepared to strike again. "I don't know what happened, but it won't happen again!" he growled. Link didn't react .

Because he hear something on the sudden breeze. He heard music.

_Da da daa, da da daa, da da da da daa da da da da daa, da da da daa. Da da daa, da da daa, da da da da daa da da da da daa, da da da daa. Da da daa da da daa da da daaa, da da daa da da daa da da daaa. Da da daa da da daa da da daaa, da-do da-do da-do da-do da-do da-do da-do da-da-da-daaa…_

A flute, drums, and some other instrument was what it sounded like, but oddly enough it seemed to have no particular source other than the wind. The shade stiffened when he heard it and then contorted his face in agony. Link felt some otherworldly power in the music, some magical strength, and he knew that the song had come to protect him. How he knew he did not know, but that he felt uplifted and the shade was in pain seemed evidence enough.

"Aah! Thrice-accursed Sage of Forest! This does not end here! I will not be beaten by an eternal child! Urgh!" Through his pain Dark Link glared crimson hatred at the surrounding woods. He struggled to bring his sword up to strike at Link. The volume and intensity of the song increased, and the Hero's Shade was brought to his knees. He howled at the sound and thrust his sword into the earth. A light flashed from the hilt of the weapon and in a swirl of darkness both it and its wielder were gone.

*  
Location: Hoklir Forest, Ordon Village (Kokiri Forest, Previously Uninhabited)  
Time: Morning of the sixth day of the Summer of the 29th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

"Make sure you don't take the glove off, all right Link?" Link's sister, Alice, said for the fiftieth time. Her gray-blue eyes looked down at her younger brother in concern. Ever since he had stumbled back into Ordon in the late evening the day before yesterday, looking dazed, he had been extremely quiet and contemplative, never saying more than a sentence at a time. Usually he was extremely talkative, so this change was causing a great deal of concern for those who interacted with him. From what she'd been able to coax him to tell, she deduced that he had gone exploring in the Mazewood and had been attacked by some phantom, thereafter being given a golden tattoo on his left hand and a new set of clothing. The forest itself had protected him with music and driven the phantom away. Apparently, the forest had also shown him the way back to the village. Something else had happened while he was there, she was sure of it, but he wouldn't say anything else about his trip.

Link merely nodded in response, staring at the glove covering his left hand. Alice had given that to him to hide the mark. He had neither complained nor expressed relief about hiding the golden triangles when she had suggested it. Alice gave a small, worried sigh and brushed her long golden curls back around behind her shoulders. Turning to leave the back room where she and her brother stayed during working hours when they weren't needed up front in the shop, she paused before opening the door. She glanced back worriedly. A twenty year old woman who had taken care of her brother since shortly after his birth, she felt like both a sister and a mother to Link, and it scared her to think her energetic and enthusiastic younger brother might disappear. She opened her mouth to say something and then decided against it. Opening the door, she whispered, "Please be okay, Link," as she left.

Link sat in complete silence after his sister was gone. A part of him wanted to go comfort her, to let her know that he was all right. Another part of him, however, didn't even know if he believed that himself. Shortly after the disappearance of Dark Link, he had tried to find the source of the music. By following his ears, he managed to stumble upon a section of the Mazewood that was much different from the rest. Everything seemed softer, somehow, and yet it screamed danger in a way he had never felt before. It was at once a calm and terrifying place. There was a literal maze that he sorted his way through, his ears pricked for danger the whole time. By the time he came out the other side, his nerves had almost given out.

A long flight of severely broken stone steps led him up past the tops of the hedges that formed the maze. He could hear the music more loudly and clearly from here than any other location, so he knew that he must be near its source. When he reached the top, he found that he was in another small clearing, although this was at least three times as big as the one where he had encountered Dark Link.

In its center was a giant circular stone platform over eight feet across and elevated about four inches up from the ground. Unlike the steps, this was smooth and unbroken. On it, a raised portion detailed four curves coming away from the center, and the color of the stone created a grey image of the triangle of triangles that was now on Link's hand. A sense of power radiated from it.

On the far side of the clearing Link saw the beginnings of a vast ruined building which alone must have been larger than most of the houses in the village put together. Something about the ruins seemed somehow significant, as if it were the corpse of a great and powerful being whose influence outlasted its life. In reverent awe, the boy cautiously walked across the clearing, noticing that the music grew even more distinct as he reached the platform in the center. Just as he was about to step on the platform, the ghostly form of a green-haired girl in the same style of tunic as his appeared on the platform and began to speak.

Link blinked and looked away from his gloved hand. He had not told his sister of the meeting with the girl of the forest because he was afraid. He did not yet understand all the many things that she had told him. Among those things were her identity, the spirit of the Sage of Forest, which had outlasted her mortal form and continued to watch over the Forest; a story about a childhood friend of hers from ages long past named Link, who became a great swordsman known as the Hero of Time; and the meaning of the mark on his hand, the Triforce, signifying that he was to be a hero as well. Despite his rather impressive intellect, the unlearned village boy had difficulty grasping what the Sage had said. His overloaded mind had difficulty, and so she had used her magic to guide his steps back toward the village while he mulled over what he had been told. Ever since then, he had been so lost in his thoughts that the world around him had become almost indistinct and detached.

He shook his head vigorously. _This is too much for me!_ He thought. _I'm just an eleven year old kid! I can't understand all of that! It's time for me to stop thinking and go let my sister know I'm okay._ He stood up hurriedly and dashed out of the room.

"The total will be thirty-five rupees, sir," Alice smiled, placing the merchandise on the counter. The customer smiled back and placed a three blue rupees and one red rupee on the counter. The old man picked up his purchased goods and said, "You have a good day now, Alice m'girl. Don't let any hoodlums try to rob the store!" Cackling good-naturedly, he turned around and left the building. Alice chuckled. Old Faro was quite the joker and always chipper, despite being nearly eighty years old. He could still get around without trouble and was always in good health, which he attributed to maintaining a training regimen even after he left the Hylian Knights. He had retired from the military by the time he was fifty and moved back down to the southeast to his hometown of Ordon, but he had been a knight for over thirty years before that, so he had quite a bit of experience with the outside world, outdated as it might be.

"Alice?"

Alice turned around to see Link standing beside her, smiling. "I'm all right, Alice. I'm back to normal. I just…had a lot on my mind. Thanks for sticking with me." He hugged her tight.

She wrapped her arms around him, a relieved smile on her face. "Of course I stuck with you; you're my one and only little brother! I'm glad you're okay, Link. You had me worried." She ran a hand through his hair. "But as long as you're back to being yourself, I'm not worried anymore." He squeezed her tighter, and she closed her embrace as well. "Oh, I love you so much, Link," she whispered.

"I love you too," he whispered back.

The two of them stood like that for another half minute before releasing one another. Link grinned up at Alice.

"I'm gonna go talk to Falo, is that okay? It's Dinsday, so there won't be that many customers. Please?"

She ruffled his hair. "All right, but don't bother him for too long. His father just left the shop, so why don't you offer to help Old Faro take his groceries home?"

He nodded and rushed out the door. "Sure! See you later!" he called back excitedly. She smiled. Now _that_ was the Link she was used to.

*  
Location: Hoklir Forest, Ordon Village, Home of Faro  
Time: Early afternoon of the sixth day of the Summer of the 29th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

"Castle Conquered," chuckled Faro. Link gave a displeased squeal. The elderly man shook his finger. "Now, now, don't go getting upset on me, kiddo. You're still young, and I'm an old man with lots of tricks."

Link looked down at the marble game board in dismay. "But that's the twelfth time I've lost in a row today!" he complained. "You're so much better than I am. It's impossible for me to win!"

Faro grinned and winked. "Ah, but you keep learning. This battle simulation game is good training for tactics, you know. Someday you might be able to beat me, or maybe you'll become a master general of the Hylian Knights. You're already much better at this game then you were when I first started teaching you several months ago. I bet you could beat my grandson Fado easily. A pity he isn't in Ordon right now for you to try. Like me and my son Falo, he went off to be a knight."

"I know," Link reminded him. "Falo retired at age fifty just like you, so he's been retired for almost five years now, and Fado has been a knight since he turned eighteen, ten years ago. Which reminds me, just where is Falo? You said he was out doing something and would be back, but it's been _hours_."

"You complain too much," joked the old man. Link raised an eyebrow and giggled. Faro cackled, and soon the two were laughing up a storm.

"Is there a particular reason my old man and my little friend are chuckling so hard?" a deep voice inquired. The two petered out and turned to look at the man who had just entered. He was balding, but what hair was left was jet black. He stood over six feet and had broad shoulders. He grinned.

"Falo!" yelled Link, jumping off his chair and running over to his friend.

"Hey, little buddy," Falo replied, patting Link's head as the boy grabbed him in a hug.

Letting go, Link looked up at the older man's face. "I want to ask you something," he said, suddenly extremely serious. "And I'm not joking or anything. I really mean it."

"What is it?" the man queried.

His eyes sharp and suddenly more mature, Link replied, "Will you teach me how to swordfight?"

**END CHAPTER ONE**

**COMING IN CHAPTER TWO: VENTURE**

Though branded with the mark of the Triforce at the age of eleven, Link stays in his home, doing nothing besides learning to fight in addition to his normal life for the next six years. However, he is troubled by growing feelings of uncertainty and an approaching danger. Knowing that he can deny his wanderlust no longer, he decides to set out into Hyrule to see if he can divine the source of that unease.


	2. Venture

**Notes:** Ready for chapter two? This chapter begins the main story, with Link 17 years old. I'm not that great at writing kids doing awesome stuff. Also, this tale will eventually have some romance, so I wanted an older Link. As you have no doubt noticed, some places have different "current names" than their original names (the forest, for example). Also, an important thing to note is that while you will sometimes see people and place names from the games in my story, you cannot automatically assume that they are the same people or places. If they are the same, it will be fairly obvious (i.e. Kakariko is at the base of Death Mountain, Saria is the Sage of Forest). Most prominent OCs will have unique names, however, unless there is a highly significant story reason for them to have the same name as a canon character.

Anyway, in this chapter you get to see Link in action, and the first major difference between this Link and the Hero of Time becomes apparent.

**Previous Chapter Summary**: Eleven year old Link enters the forbidden Mazewood (aka the Lost Woods) and discovers Dark Link's version of the Master Sword. When he touches it, it breaks a seal on Dark Link, who turns on Link. However, instead of killing him, he accidentally somehow links Link to the Triforce of Courage instead, which brings along the added benefit of the green tunic and hat. After meeting with Saria's ghost, Link heads back to Ordon. After worrying his older sister Alice by being lost in thought, he goes to a former knight named Falo and asks to learn swordsmanship.

**CHAPTER TWO: Venture**

Location: Hoklir Woods, Ordon Village  
Time: Night of the sixteenth day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

_The plains are stormy. The rain falls hard on my face. I can barely see through the water. I know that something is terribly, dreadfully wrong. I can hear a noise coming from behind me, but I can't turn around. For some reason, all I can do is shake in the cold and wet. It's worse this time. Every time it gets worse. The thing that's coming is getting closer. I can hear it getting louder. But I still don't know what's wrong._

_ My glove has come off, and the Triforce mark shines through the rain. It's glowing brighter than it used to. I know that it's a warning sign. The goddesses are trying to warn me, but I don't need the lantern on my hand for that. Danger is coming. I don't know what it is, but it's strong. Powerful. I know that it's my job to stop it. I reach for my left-hand sword, buckled at my right hip. My hand closes on air, and I notice that my sword is lying broken on the ground. My right hand reaches up for the sword across my shoulder. I pull it out and ready it, but it shatters from the impact of the rain. The noise is still getting louder._

_ It's dark. I know it's night. However, I sense that there is more to this darkness than nighttime. In the distance, I think I can see something, but because of the rain it is far too indistinct for me to make out. I hear the sound of a sword clearing a sheath and finally manage to turn. Something monstrous and full of power is behind him, but right in front of me is Dark Link. I realize that our features, except for color, are remarkably similar now. It doesn't matter, because his blade is through my heart._

_ But I'm not dead. The Triforce shines even brighter, and suddenly I know that the real threat is hiding behind the monster I can only barely see behind the shade who has run me through. I am … afraid, but not afraid. I feel fear, but I know that I must fight. I grab the offending sword with my left hand, and the black transforms into purple, yellow, and grey. I rip it out and grip it in my hand. But my right hand needs a weapon… I need a weapon before I face the great danger. I must face it, because it will be here soon._

And then Link awoke.

*  
Location: Hoklir Woods, Ordon Village  
Time: Morning of the twentieth day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

"Gwah!"

Link jumped backwards instinctively as several bushels of apples fell spectacularly out of the cart crossing in front of him and into his path. Backpedaling, he managed to avoid being struck by or stepping on any of the fruit. He blinked as he looked into the gigantic pile of Hokli Greens, or Earlies as they were nicknamed for their picking season, and then looked up at the cart with a with raised eyebrows. The driver halted the horse and started swearing. Link shrugged and began picking up apples and placing them back into the cart. The driver left off cursing to gaze at the helpful teen in surprise. Link waved.

"Cart's giving you a lot of trouble, I see," he noted jovially. He continued picking up apples. "Some of these are bound to be bruised, but most of them look all right, which is a stroke of fortune in an unfortunate situation."

"Why are you helping?" the man finally asked, getting down to assist. Link raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"Because an accident happened right in front of me. I couldn't just _not_ help."

"That's … an unusual outlook," commented the apple-driver.

"Is it? People tell me that I'm _too_ helpful sometimes. I've never really understood that. Whoops, this one got bruised up pretty bad," he interrupted himself, looking at an apple.

"Go ahead and take it, I can't sell it," the man offered. Link grinned at him in gratitude, stuffing the apple into his pocket before continuing to pick up apples.

"So, what's your name?" the man asked, having come from a neighboring village.

"Link. What's yours?"

"John. You seem like you're pretty well built. What is it that you do?"

"Oh, I'm an assistant at the shop, which is where I assume you're heading. My sister and I are the workers there, apart from the owner."

"Really? Well then, we can go over to the shop together. I'm surprised I've never met you before."

"Well, I don't work there as much as I get stuff to sell there. Some of the herbs and berries are more common in the Mazewood than they are in the Hoklir, so I forage there. We make quite the profit that way."

The merchant stopped picking up apples to stare. "You forage in the _Mazewood?_"

Completely undisturbed by the man's reaction, Link continued to pick up apples. "Yep. I'm the only one in the village who goes in there. I dunno, but I never get lost in there like everyone else does. Makes it a good place to go when I don't want people bothering me, too."

The man shook his head and reapplied himself to the task at hand. Soon, the two were finished, and they headed off to the shop.

"Yo, Alice, I'm back! I've got the Earlies merchant with me," Link called when he pushed open the door to the store. Alice came from around back, hastily pushing her curls back behind her shoulders. She smiled when she saw her brother helping the merchant carry the baskets of fruit in.

"Welcome back, Link! And welcome, sir." She directed her comments back to Link. "How did it go?"

"No luck. I swear that I saw a fairy, though. Looked like a glowing ball of light with wings. That was interesting."

"I'm sorry, I know you were hoping. But a fairy, really?"

Link spread his arms out. "Would I lie?"

The merchant interrupted with a soft cough.

"Well, I'll take my leave, then," Link said, turning. "I think I'll go prove to Fado that I'm better than he is with swords. He got here yesterday. Apparently he's on leave for a couple months. Falo told me that his son didn't think that I could best him in a match, some I'm going to go make him eat his words. Toodles."

Link began to whistle the tune from the Mazewood, or Lost Woods as he'd learned their original name was. Over the last six years, he had spent a lot of time training with swords and had gone into the Lost Woods on a fairly regular basis. Every so often he would wander until he found the Sage's Place and have a little chat. For an immortal ghost, she certainly talked a lot like the little girl she appeared to be sometimes. He got the feeling that she was kind of lonely. He figured he would be too if he was stuck in once place without contact from anyone for hundreds of years. Even she didn't remember how long she had been there.

The real reason he wanted to spar today was to take his mind off of the dreams he had been having. They were more frequent now than they used to be. They'd started sometime in the year after he got the Triforce mark. With their increasing frequency came the increasing urgency of his dreams. They made him apprehensive; there was a sense of wrongness and impending danger that grew with each recurrence.

Waving to some of the village children who ran by, Link contemplated his home. It was a nice village in the forest, one of several in the Hoklir Forest. Everyone knew everyone else, and there was little enmity or feuding. All in all, it was quite a happy community. It seemed very much the same to him now as it had when he was younger, but he had a much greater appreciation for it. Friendships had deepened with time, and he had come to feel a little like a guardian of the place. When news of his successful visits to the Mazewood had spread throughout the village, other children had been emboldened and tried to explore as well. He felt that it was his responsibility to keep such unruly children safe, and so whenever a child managed to escape into the woods, he was the one who brought him or her back.

Still, despite his love for his home, he felt that there was something missing. Some part of his life lay outside the boundaries of Ordon, outside even the Mazewood and Hoklir Forest. He knew it instinctively, and when he allowed himself to think on it, it ate at him. Deep inside, there was a longing for something more than this simple village life. Whenever he lost himself in this inexplicable longing, he would practice sword fighting with Falo (or, more often, by himself) or play war games with Faro, who, despite being almost eighty-six, was still in excellent health and possessed all his mental faculties. Faro needed a cane to move around now, but he was just as active as ever.

Link blinked, his face to Falo's door. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn't realized he had reached his destination.

Knocking, he called out, "Oy, Falo, you home? I'm feeling like sparring this morning."

The door opened, and a man in his early thirties glared at Link. His short black hair was dripping wet.

"Oh, good morning, Fado," Link said good-naturedly. "Mind if I ask why your head is wet?"

"Because _you_ started yelling," growled Fado. "And it startled the cat, who knocked over the broom, which I tripped on and then fell in the water bucket face first."

Link grinned. "Only that? Well, sounds like a minor incident one might have any day. Does this mean you're alert now?"

"Hmph. Yes, I'm quite alert. I'd like to know, though, what kind of sadist you are."

Link looked genuinely surprised. "Sadist? What are you talking about?"

"Sparring with my father! He's over sixty!" Fado exclaimed.

"Oh. Um…" Link thought about it. "He enjoys it, and I go easy on him, so I don't see what the problem is. That reminds me, though, the real reason I came this morning is because I wanted to spar with you. Falo tells me that you think I can't beat you."

"Get the wooden training swords ready and I meet you out back, Link. I'll _prove_ that you can't best me." Fado went deeper into his house, grabbing a towel to dry off his head. Link grinned again and entered in, grabbing three training swords off the small weapon rack and then heading out and around to the other side of the house, where there was a small open space traditionally used for practicing with weapons by Faro's family. A minute later, Fado came out through the back door and stood across from Link. The seventeen-year-old tossed him a sword, which he caught by the hilt.

"You still fight with two swords?" scoffed Fado. Link shrugged as he picked up his practice weapons.

"Twice as many, twice as good," he joked.

"So ineffective," Fado sighed, lifting the wooden shield that Link hadn't noticed off of his back and fitting it onto his arm. "You should use a shield instead."

"The best defense is a good offense," Link retorted teasingly.

"Whatever you say, kid. Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

Fado and Link readied themselves. Fado held his shield out to the front, standing with his torso slightly sideways and his sword off to the side. Link, on the other hand, held his left sword horizontal at waist height out in front, parallel to the ground, while his right sword stayed tilted slightly upwards in a similar position at chest height. His right foot was placed farther back and his left knee was bent. His face split into a wide grin, contrasting sharply with Fado's set expression. Suddenly Fado struck.

As Fado's right arm swept his sword across in an upward diagonal slash from waist height, he stepped forward and to the left. Link's eyes seemed to light up as he simply tilted his left sword downward and lifted up to block the swipe while stepping forward with his right foot and thrusting toward the small gap on Fado's right not covered by his shield. Assuming his opponent would move the shield to defend, Link wasted no time flipping his left sword off of Fado's and whipping it in a quick curve up around the weapon and back in toward Fado's waist. Fado quickly brought his shield to halt Link's thrust and barely managed to slide his sword, pointing downward, over to his right to block the slash with it. Even as Link's thrust was stopped, he turned it upward to slide along the shield, quickly bringing it back down in a downward thrust toward behind Fado's shield from above.

Stepping backward, Fado just managed to pull back his shield, raise it higher and tilt to successfully guard against the strike. Meanwhile, Link used Fado's backward step to swiftly pull his left sword up off of Fado's and thrust inward toward the man's now-unprotected chest. The sword brushed by as Fado hastily stepped back again with just his left foot, turning his whole body sideways to avoid it. In the same movement, Link himself spun around, the pivot point his left foot, bringing his right sword down from on high in a backhanded diagonal slash with great ferocity, following it up by bringing his left blade in for a vicious slight upward thrust at Fado's right ribs. The knight raised his sword to guard against the downward slash, which left his ribs exposed for the unexpected thrust. The force of the blow caused Fado to stumble over backwards, landing sprawled on his back.

Link stood above him, and his piercing blue eyes shined with the thrill of the battle. He was still grinning, but it was a grin of a different sort; it seemed to have some element of awe in it. Then he looked down at Fado and his grin returned to normal. He laughed.

"That was _great_! It's been a while since I've been able to really let loose when I'm sparring with another person instead of practicing by myself! You're not half bad, you know that?"

Fado gazed up at him, still slightly disoriented from the shock of the sword blow and the impact of hitting the dirt. He was completely stunned. What did that kid _do_? That was no ordinary sword fighting.

As he tried to sit up, he let go of his sword and clutched at his ribs. Link's smile vanished and he knelt down, concerned.

"Did I hit you too hard? I didn't… I thought that since we were using wood and you were an experienced knight I could go all out. Did I break anything?"

Fado looked up at Link's worried face and grimaced as he sat up.

"I don't … ugh… think so, but you … urgh… definitely _bruised_ them. This hurts – bad… but not as bad as broken bones. It'll… probably hurt more later on. Bruised bones… do that."

Letting go of his swords, Link offered him a hand. Fado took it and groaned, hissing in a breath as he stood. Link began to apologize.

"I'm sorry… really, very sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you… I – "

"Don't patronize me. I'm a Hylian… Knight. If I can't handle bruised ribs… then something is seriously wrong." He dropped his shield and headed for the house. "Come inside. I want to talk to you."

Link followed Fado inside, where the two of them sat down. Fado looked directly at Link.

"That fight was strange. Your style – I've never seen it before."

Link shrugged. "Well, I did invent it myself."

Fado shook his head, taking care not to jostle himself. "That's not what I mean. Fighting with two swords… is rare, but not unheard of. It's just… when people fight with two swords, they use them like… two halves of the same weapon. Their arms move in sync with each other. But that's not… how you fought. Your arms moved independently of each other. That's usually… a sign of an amateur, but you made it _work_."

"Oh. Well, I guess I just have a knack for it. It makes dodging hard, though."

"Why's that?"

"Well, most people move their bodies together with their swords, but because my swords aren't always moving together with each other I can't always do that, since it would require moving my body in more than one way at the same time." Link laughed. "I suppose I'm a bit odd, aren't I?"

"Hm." Fado narrowed his eyes in thought. "Have you ever thought about becoming a Hylian Knight?"

Link leaned back in his chair and gazed up at the ceiling. "Yeah. I've considered it, but I don't think I want to be restricted like that. I don't just want to be a soldier, you know? But… I would like to get out there and see more of Hyrule. Don't get me wrong," he added hastily, glancing back down at Fado, "I love it here. In fact, that's one of the reasons I don't want to be a knight – I wouldn't be able to come here very often. It's just…" He waved his hand around in a completely uninformative gesture. "There's _something_… I feel like I need to leave Ordon."

Fado reached to the side to grab a cup of water from the nearby table and grimaced as pain shot through his chest. "Why are you still here then?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you still here? If you want to leave… then why haven't you?"

Link blinked. He had never really thought much about the real reasons for staying; he simply knew he loved his home too much to go. Now, however, as he directed his thoughts to divine exactly why he didn't leave, he found that there were two other underlying reasons. The first, which he voiced to Fado, was that he didn't want to abandon his older sister, Alice. Though she was twenty-six and quite beautiful, she was still unmarried, and he didn't want to leave her alone. The second he kept firmly to himself: a reluctance to once again face Dark Link; he knew another confrontation was inevitable. He was ashamed of himself for that reluctance, as according to the Sage of Forest, he was to become a hero.

A cackle interrupted the two of them, and Link noticed Faro entering the house, laughing. The old man was very wizened, but his eyes had a youthful light to them.

"Don't be worried about Alice, silly boy," he chortled. "She can take care of herself. She's been doing it since she was a little ten year old girl, and she's been taking care of you, too. I almost feel sorry for her that you think so little of her ability. For shame, Link, for shame."

"It's not that I don't think she can take care of herself," Link protested defensively, "it's that she'd be alone and lonely. We've been living together since I was a baby."

"Ah, go boil your head," Faro said dismissively as he tottered over to the chair next to Fado. "Maybe you'll lose some of that excess concern. She'll be fine. Besides, if you come back to visit, it'll be no different than what any mother has to put up with when her child grows up."

"But she's my sister," Link said gently.

"I'll wallop you with this cane if you treat me like I'm senile, you little rip," threatened Faro jokingly. "I know she's your sister. But she's the one who raised you, so it's the same thing. Now," he said briskly, "how about a war game? You lost last time, so you need more practice."

Link got up to fetch the game pieces. "I may have lost last game," he grumbled, "but I can win at least a good fifth of the games now. You're a master at the game, too."

"I heard that, Link," called Faro. "And I'm definitely not the best at this game; there are others better than me."

"Still," Fado said, "you left quite a legacy in the Knights. Everyone knows of Vice-general Faro, master swordsman and tactician. It seems that while Dad is fairly well-known, he didn't manage to live up to your legacy… ow!"

He clutched at his chest. He grimaced apologetically at his grandfather. "I suffered a rather painful lesson in humility at Link's hands today," he explained. The old man grinned.

"That Link is quite something. I've seen him practicing alone, and believe me, I've never seen anything quite like it. He'll be a true master of the sword someday. As it is, he has enough skill to be a ranked officer in the Hylian Knights based on ability alone. Come on, hurry it up, Link, I'm not getting any younger, even if I wish I were." He cackled again.

"Right, right, I've got it," Link muttered as he brought back the game to the table. "I'm going to win this time, just for you making fun of me."

"Oh no, I was serious."

"You're never serious. Let's do this."

*  
Location: Hoklir Forest, the Mazewood  
Time: Mid-afternoon of the twenty-first day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

Saria was lost in her experience, letting her senses spread out through the Lost Woods. Lately, there had been small disturbances in various areas of the wood. Most of them were minor, but some of them were cause for concern. Of the Deku Scrubs, she had noticed that several had begun to change, their disposition morphing from prankster to assailant. It reminded her of the so-called "Mad Scrubs" that had once dwelled in the maze of the Sacred Grove. The animals had begun to act strangely too, and the parasitic Deku Babas had re-emerged, albeit in small numbers. Letting her consciousness float away from the Temple Platform where she manifested for Link, she drifted through the woods to consult the other guardian of the forest, the Great Deku Tree.

In her nonphysical state, she had no body or form to see, but the colossal forest guardian sensed her presence. Though its face did not move, the gigantic tree, which stood over eight hundred feet tall and more than one hundred feet across at its base, acknowledged the presence of the Sage of Forest. A deep groaning noise sounded as it prepared to speak.

"Welcome, Saria, Sage of the Forest. You seem to be troubled."

"I am concerned, Great Deku Tree. Lately, the forest has been disturbed."

"I have noticed this as well, Saria. But it is not the forest which need concern us, I think. The changes are not from within, but from without. With our powers, we can, as we have, alleviate the problems arising in our realm, but their source is outside of these woods."

"Then the time has come for this new Link to become Hero at last," Saria's voice echoed.

"Indeed," rumbled the Deku Tree.

*  
Location: Hoklir Forest, Ordon Village  
Time: Morning of the twenty-fifth day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

Link shouldered his backpack and adjusted his hat. After discussing things with both Alice and the Sage of Forest, he had decided to leave Ordon at last. Donning the green tunic, which had somehow continued to magically grow to fit him as he had aged, he had spent the next few days mentally preparing himself and packing for the journey. His equipment consisted of heavy travel boots, his tunic, two sword belts (one at his waist, which had a scabbard at his right hip, and across his back, with a scabbard angled so he could draw from his right shoulder), a pair of gloves, a wallet with one hundred rupees, a collection of Deku Nuts from the Lost Woods, flint and steel, a towel, a kitchen knife, a pair of glass bottles filled with red potion, a flask filled with water, and an assortment of fruits, vegetables, and dried meat. In each scabbard he carried a worn double-edged sword – one had belonged to Faro before from before he became an officer and the other to Falo.

"You're gonna go exploring and beat up monsters in Hyrule, right Link? I wish I could go!"

Link smiled down at the little ten-year-old Katie, one of his neighbors. Several other children chimed in excitedly.

"Go learn something!" hollered Faro over the hubbub.

"Good luck, dear," the owner of the shop, Elise, added.

Link grinned at the crowd that had come to see him off. Most of the village was there to say goodbye to the green-clad boy, the only one who had ever entered the Mazewood and returned on a regular basis. He was something of a champion, especially to the children. The older adults smiled as they remembered the little talkative and easily excitable boy that Link had matured from to become the talkative, laughing, and smiling helpful young man he was today. Alice stepped up to Link, tears in her gray-blue eyes.

"Goodbye, Link," she whispered, wrapping her arms around him and placing her head against his shoulder. "Be careful."

"I will," he assured her in a soft voice, returning the embrace tightly. "And I'll make sure I come and visit," he assured her.

"I love you, little brother. It's dangerous out there. Don't die, all right?"

"I love you too, Alice. I'll stay alive, with you in my mind. I couldn't die and leave you all alone. I'm having a hard enough time just leaving the village!" he said quietly, smiling.

The two of them hugged for a while longer, and when they let go, Alice was smiling through her tears.

"Go have an adventure, Link," she said. "The adventure of a lifetime."

"I will," he smiled back. He faced the crowd. "So long, Ordon! Link is off to see Hyrule!"

The crowd cheered, and their voices echoed in Link's ears well after Ordon was out of his sight. His adventure had begun!

**END CHAPTER TWO**

**COMING IN CHAPTER THREE: TASTE OF BATTLE**

Finally off on his own, Link wanders forth from the Forest to the Field. As he continues to travel, he comes across monsters and fights his first true life or death battle. The consequences surprise him, and he questions the significance of his capabilities as well as pondering the nature of combat.


	3. Taste of Battle

**Notes:** I may be rewriting these notes, but I'm certainly not going to get rid of my thanks for the positive reviews. They really do help my motivation to keep writing. I definitely appreciate them. Anyway, in this chapter I give a relatively brief description of my map of Hyrule; it should help give you an idea of Link's location. This chapter is a little more serious; it is an attempt at giving Link some realistic depth and responses to his situation. Don't worry, the story won't lose the humor.

Remember, I welcome reviews, comments, and questions from readers. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

**Previous Chapter Summary**: The now seventeen-year-old Link, who has been living life peacefully for the past six years, has been having unsettling dreams of danger. Since Fado is in town, he goes and spars against him. He wins through his unusual two-weapon fighting style in which he somehow is capable of moving his arms completely independently of each other, accidentally bruising Fado's ribs in the process. After discussing his desire to leave Ordon with several people, he decides that it is time to leave. Decked up in his green tunic, he says his goodbyes to the villagers.

**CHAPTER THREE: Taste of Battle**

Location: Southeastern Hyrule Field – the Rolling Plains  
Time: Mid-afternoon of the twenty-eighth day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

Link wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued walking. He had never imagined it would be so hot out in the Rolling Plains, and two days of traipsing exposed under the beating sun was beginning to get to him. The hat at least protected the top of his head from the direct light, but the rest of him felt so hot he was surprised he could keep walking. In the forest, there had always been trees to provide protection. There were trees here in the Rolling Plains as well, but there were scattered relatively far apart and couldn't be counted on for anything more than a temporary reprieve from the sun's assault.

_If this keeps up,_ Link thought, _I may just have to travel at night_.

When he had first left the forest after almost two days of travel, he had been stunned and awed by the vastness of Hyrule. Even though the rolling nature of the landscape meant there were plenty of ups and downs to block his view, he had never seen such a large open area before. He had never truly been able to understand the stories Faro and Falo had told of Hyrule before because he couldn't imagine what they had described, and he realized just how little he knew about the world upon seeing Hyrule Field. After two days travel, however, the novelty had worn off, and he was beginning to hope he could find another settlement soon. Faro had given him a verbal mapping of Hyrule, but Link hadn't been able to find the road that he had mentioned, and the boy was beginning to suspect it was no longer in use.

_Just keep going toward the northwest, and eventually you'll come to Hyrule Castle City after crossing the Southern Hylia, _ he recited to himself. _If you head in a more northerly direction, you'll reach the Northeastern Field, the Hyrule Hills. To the North-northeast are the northern mountains, where the great River Hylia begins at a place called the Zora's Domain before it wends its way westward. Death Mountain is in the northern part of the mountain range. Kakariko is at its base. There are other villages in the mountains too, but Kakariko is the most famous. The Hylia splits into the Northern Hylia, which runs by the Castle City, and the Southern Hylia, which runs through the middle of Hyrule Field. To the west of the Castle City you'll find the Northwestern Field, which is mostly composed of the Great Gorges and the Hylian Plateaus. The Northern Hylia runs up north and then down south through the Great Gorges. You'll find Sherikah up there; it's the only prominent settlement in the Plateaus. The Southern Hylia cuts straight across the Hyrule Hills and the Rolling Plains, and then runs southwest through the Southwestern Hyrule Field, the Lushlands, which are more treed and have lots of vibrant greenery, more so than the Rolling Plains. There are a number of settlements along the River in the Lushlands, the biggest of which is River City where the River runs into Lake Hylia in the Southwest. The Desert is over on the western side of the largest gorge, but you could also reach it by sailing on Lake Hylia until you passed the place where the Northern Hylia empties into the Lake and then traveling north or northwest. Other major settlements… well, there's Lon Lon Village in the middle of Hyrule Field, approximately the same location on the Southern Hylia as Castle City is on the Northern Hylia. There's Fadinru, the main settlement of the Rolling Plains; it's in the northern part. There are some minor settlements the Lushlands and Hills, but nothing else major – except for Eldin, which is in the far north, near Snowpeak. And of course you know that there are other villages in the Forest besides Ordon._

"I should be glad I've got such a good memory. That's a heck of a lot of information," he muttered aloud. "Of course, I had to ask him how to cross the Southern Hylia. He said that there are three bridges in the Rolling Plains – the Faron Bridge, which is directly north, the East Lanayru bridge, which is in the angle I'm traveling, and the Lon Lon Bridge, at Lon Lon Village. There are several bridges in the Lushlands, too, but that's not important. Phew, I wish the clouds would come out and give me a break. Ah, there's a tree. I'll stop there until it gets darker so that it cools down. I wish there were more trees out here."

Link dropped down beside the lone tree, slipping off his backpack. He sighed and wiped his sweat off again. Leaning back against the tree, he closed his eyes, grateful for the shade. "Thanks, Farore," he muttered to his favorite goddess, the goddess of courage and life. The Sage Saria had told him that Farore was also Link's patron deity because he held her share of the Triforce. Link relaxed and tried not to focus on anything. His breathing gradually became more even, and he didn't notice when he finally dropped off to sleep.

*  
Location: Southeastern Hyrule Field – the Rolling Plains  
Time: Mid evening of the twenty-eighth day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

Link's eyes snapped open. Judging by the location of the sun in the sky, he guessed he'd been asleep for several hours. At first he couldn't tell what had awoken him. Without moving, he scanned the surrounding area. Seeing nothing in the evening light, he still couldn't relax. That was when he realized that a sense of danger was why he woke up, and it was also why he had instinctively remained still while looking for the source of the interruption of his sleep. Slowly, he stood up and turned around, looking around the tree.

Bulblins. He had heard of them before from Faro and his family, but now he saw what they looked like with his own eyes. There was a small company of the green, monstrous humanoids prowling the field. Link counted four of them, accompanied by a giant boar (a Bulbo, if he remembered correctly) and a large reptilian bird (a Kargarok, he thought). They were traveling slowly, sniffing the air and looking at the ground, as if they were tracking something. Link eyed the distance between the group of monsters and himself. They were perhaps seventy or eighty feet away. Cautiously drawing his swords from their sheaths, he tried to ascertain as many details about the group as possible.

From what he could see, two of the Bulblins had clubs, and the other two carried bows. The Kargarok seemed fairly docile, and he thought there might be reins, which would indicate that it served as a mount. The Bulbo trundled along, guided by one of the Bulblins carrying a club. At the moment, Link was mostly hidden by the tree, but the monsters were slowly moving in his direction and were sure to detect him eventually, by smell if not by sight. Attempting to stay as still as possible, Link began to hear his own breathing and the beating of his heart. Though he was confident in his sword skills, he had never fought another creature that was trying to kill him before; and the monsters were hideous, which was unsettling.

_I have the Triforce of Courage_, he reminded himself. _I'm a good swordsman. There's nothing to worry about._ His heart continued to beat faster. Suddenly, one of the Bulblins raised its head and stared directly toward Link's tree before letting out of whoop. It mounted the monster boar and grabbed the reigns. One of the archers hopped on behind it. The other archer made a strange noise and clambered up on top of the Kargarok, while the final Bulblin hefted its club. Link gulped and steeled himself for the attack, stepping into a ready stance a few feet behind the tree.

_What did Faro tell me about fighting Bulblins?_ he thought desperately. _Something about luring the Bulbos into walls or other large objects. Wait – that's it!_

Before the green-skinned creatures could attack, Link threw caution to the winds and dashed around in front of the tree. The monsters let out shouts, and the Bulbo driver whipped the reins, causing it to break out into a charge. The passenger archer set an arrow to its bow. Not bothering to watch the actions of the land bound Bulblin or the Kargarok rider, Link threw himself to the left and broke his fall with a sideways roll. His blood began to pound in his veins and his eyes began to light up.

A pair of arrows thudded into the tree at chest height. Staying low to the ground, Link ran back around behind the tree, slamming his left sword back into its sheath. Another set of arrows sank into the ground behind him., and he could hear the thundering of the Bulbo's hooves. Ducking down, he reached swiftly into his backpack and grabbed a Deku Nut. A split second later, the Bulbo slammed full force into the tree, and there was an ominous _crack_ accompanied by a horrific grunting squeal and the dismayed shouts of the Bulblin riders. Sidestepping from around the tree, he hardly needed to register the collapsed boar and sprawled Bulblins as he threw the Deku Nut hard at the ground, closing his eyes. The crack and flash of the explosive nut didn't slow Link for a second; he ripped out his left sword at the same time as he thrust his right one down through the chest of the fallen Bulblin driver. Spinning, he practically danced to the other side of the boar in time to slash across the torso of the archer, which was standing and rubbing its eyes. It let out a piercing shriek.

Another arrow came hurtling through the air from the Kargarok rider. Link felt a warning go off in his head, and he just managed to dodge it as it came whistling past, where it struck to shrieking Bulblin in the head. For a split second, Link stared at the transfixed creature, its face twisted in agony and its chest pouring blood, before it started to fall. The fierce joy of his fighting suddenly drained as the reality of the situation hit him. True, in this situation it was kill or be killed. But he had just killed two living creatures! Creatures capable of feeling pain, just like he was. Creatures capable of enough intellect to use weaponry. Living, breathing beings.

The mental danger signal jerked him back to the battle and he whirled to face the grounded Bulblin, which was swinging its club at his head. Ducking, he gritted his teeth as he stabbed forward with his left sword. On instinct, he flicked his right sword up in a protective arc, and by some incredible stroke of luck, it knocked aside the next arrow. The Bulblin jerked back, the sword sliding back out of its stomach, and yelled as it brought its club down in a last-ditch effort to damage Link. Link simply stepped in a forward diagonal to his left, turning his body sideways as he did, and sliced forward with his left-hand sword. The Bulblin wailed as it fell, and he thrust down with his right sword to finish it. He ducked down as he did so, another arrow flying through the space where his head had been.

Focusing his mind back on the fight, Link looked up. The Kargarok rider was still some thirty feet away, as well as at least twenty feet in the air. There was simply no way that Link was going to be able to hit the Kargarok with his sword. Backpedaling, Link retreated toward the tree, jumping sideways to avoid being struck by the next missile. Once he reached the tree, he stepped behind it and dropped his right sword on the grass, snatching another Deku Nut from his backpack. The loud flapping of the bird's wings clued Link in to the fact that it was coming closer, presumably because it couldn't hit him while he was behind the tree. He waited a moment longer and then leaned to the side, took aim, and hurled the nut as hard as he could at the Kargarok.

Luck was truly on the green-clad boy's side, as the Deku Nut traveled perfectly the twenty foot distance forward and twenty foot distance up, striking the Kargarok squarely in the head with a resounding _crack_. Link watched with a sense of thrilled satisfaction as the bird flailed blindly, sending its riding flying and coming crashing to the ground itself. He wasted no time in dashing forward, not bothering to retrieve his sword. A swift series of downward strikes on the Kargarok's neck was enough to finish it, and he quickly scanned for the fallen archer. Somehow, the Bulblin had survived and was struggling to its feet a half-dozen yards away, still clutching its bow. Link charged, and it was over in an instant.

Link paused, still holding his sword, as the final monster fell to the ground. He didn't hear the snorting Bulbo, the only creature besides himself still living, as it stood up and waited, not realizing that its masters were dead. He didn't hear the sound of a normal bird calling. He simply stood, the facts of what he had just gone through running through his mind without anything to stop them now that the thrill of the battle was gone. He stood, holding his blood-covered sword, conflicting emotions battling for dominance. He stood in silence, staring ahead at nothing, as sunset dyed the world red around him. It wasn't until the world became dark and the stars began to appear that he moved.

Slowly, he walked back over to the tree, ignoring the still-waiting Bulbo. He picked up his other sword and began to meticulously clean them off on the grass.

_I – I killed. With my own hands, I took life._ He stared at the blood as he wiped it off. _With my two swords, I killed five living beings. One was a bird, but the others… the others were not only living creatures, but thinking ones! I… I stopped their breath. I stopped their beating hearts. I caused pain, no, agony._

He continued to clean them until there was almost no sign left that they had just slain. He sheathed them and then picked up his backpack.

"I did what was necessary," he told himself. "I did what I had to do to survive. That's all. It wasn't murder, it was self-defense. It was the only thing I could do. Right, Farore?" he asked helplessly.

*  
Location: Southeastern Hyrule Field – the Rolling Plains  
Time: Late Morning of the thirty-first day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

Link sighed. Over the last few days he had managed to stop thinking about the Bulblin incident, but he still didn't have any solution for the heat predicament. It was almost lunchtime, and he had yet to see another tree under which to stop for his meal. He mentally kicked himself for packing so little water for the trip. The plains were by no means dry, but there weren't many places for him to actually collect water, so he had taken to sipping on one of his red potions to alleviate his body's distress. The fruits also contained water; he was sure he would have died without them. However, he realized that he hadn't been rationing very well, never having done it before, and he was starting to run low on supplies. He hoped he would run into one of the smaller villages soon; if he was honest with himself, he was surprised he hadn't already. By his best estimation, he was somewhere near the center of the Rolling Plains, perhaps a little to the northwest of the center.

He reached the top of a slope and scanned for a tree. What he saw gave him the first reason to smile he had had since leaving Ordon. In the distance, he could clearly make out a village of some kind, as well as what seemed to be a road that passed by it going to the west-northwest and the east-northeast. Surrounding it were a number of small groves of trees.

_At last_, he thought with a grin. _Civilization! Traveling alone in the middle of the summer on these endless plains is a real pain._

His energy renewed, the Ordon villager took off briskly toward the settlement, whistling the Lost Woods tune merrily. When he finally approached it, he immediately noticed that something was wrong. For one thing, there were several people milling about outside on the road in a panic. For another, he could hear shouts. Finally, he could clearly see a flock of Kargaroks flying low over the village. His grin and whistle vanished as his mind flashed back to his earlier battle. He heard a scream and saw a Kargarok dive at one of the villagers on the road, snagging the man with its beak. Something inside him snapped.

Someone was in danger. He needed to help. That was all that mattered.

He ran full tilt toward the village, his mind focused on the task at hand. Already he could feel his heartbeat. With each step it was as though more adrenaline was pumped into his system. In no time at all, he covered the remaining distance between himself and the outskirts of the village. Ripping his swords out as he ran, he charged toward the Kargarok.

An arrow whistled through the air from somewhere behind one of the buildings, piercing the kararok through the heart. Never slowing, Link jammed his swords back into their sheaths and reached out his arms to catch the villager as he fell. The man landed on top of him, and he winced as he collapsed underneath. Immediately, he moved the villager to the side and stood, affirming that the villager was unharmed and ignoring his own hurting body. He turned toward where the arrow had come from and discovered a man decked out in armor bearing the crest of the Triforce and the Red Phoenix – the crest of the Royal Family of Hyrule. This man, who knocked another arrow and let loose at a different reptilian bird, was clearly a Hylian Knight.

Noticing the downfall of their companions, two Kargaroks divebombed the Knight before he could fit another arrow to his bow. Once more bringing out his weapons, Link rushed toward the Kargaroks. The Knight dodged the first attack, but only barely, and was clipped by the wings of one of the creatures. He stumbled to the side, off-balance. The birds flapped their wings to gain elevation for another attack.

Eyes burning, Link came hurtling down the path, swinging both swords in downward arcs toward the unsuspecting critters. The force of the blows sent them both crashing to the ground, blood spurting out where the weapons had wrought a large gash on each of them. The Knight watched in amazement as Link proceeded to deliver a combination of slashes and thrusts on both of the fallen Kargaroks simultaneously, cutting short their protesting squawks. Link quickly scanned the skies to count the rest of the Kargarok flock. He spotted a total of four more scattered around the town. He turned to the Knight.

"May I borrow that bow?" he asked.

The Knight stared at the strange boy in green who had just slain two Kargaroks at the same time, _right_ after using himself as a cushion for someone else's fall. The swordsman's face was completely serious, and his eyes seemed to pierce into the Knight's mind. Dumbly, the soldier handed over his bow and quiver. Dropping his swords, Link accepted the items and fit an arrow to the bow. The back of his left hand burned as he pulled back the arrow while he ran.

As soon as he estimated that one of the birds was within range, he closed one eye and aimed. A second later, the Kargarok plummeted to the ground, an arrow embedded in its skull. Intent on chasing down the remaining villainous birds, he ignored all else.

*  
Location: Rolling Plains, Napils Village  
Time: Noon of the thirty-first day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

Link downed another glass of water. He smiled at the villagers as he set down his cup, which was immediately refilled by the barkeep. Sitting inside the tiny inn (it had two rooms and a bar/shop combination), the seventeen-year-old took full advantage of the resources now available to refresh himself. After finishing off the Kargaroks, he had returned the bow to its owner, drunk a bit of red potion for his bruises, and cleaned his swords. Once the village realized that the danger had passed, they had enthusiastically thanked Link and the small group of Knights who had fought the creatures before he had arrived. Now, he and his fellow fighters were being rewarded with free food and drink.

"But truly, I was impressed," the Knight who had lent his bow to Link remarked. "You were excellent and fearless. I never expected to see such skill from a stranger."

"The village was in danger," Link shrugged as he bit off a chunk of bread, following it up with another gulp of water. "There wasn't really time for me to be afraid."

"Have you fought Kargaroks often?" another Knight asked.

"Nope," Link replied nonchalantly. "This was the second time in my life."

The small company of Knights – there were five of them – stopped eating and drinking to stare at him.

"You're joking," a third Knight said in disbelief.

"What kind of experience do you have with fighting?" the fourth one queried. "Are you some kind of mercenary?"

"Nah. This is only the second real battle I've ever fought. I've practiced for years, though." He grinned at the stunned faces of the Knights. If being a good fighter was going to get him this kind of response, he might warm up to it after all.

Then the images of the Bulblins flashed through his mind, and his grin vanished.

"My first real battle was only a few days ago," he said quietly, turning his face back to his water. "That was the first time my swords had blood on them."

The Knights glanced at each other, surprised by the boy's sudden change of mood. The first Knight turned back to Link and asked softly, "So you're upset about killing things?"

"Well… I know I did what I had to; it was kill or be killed. But I…the fact that I took away the life of five living creatures…one of them was a Kargarok, so that's easier to deal with, but the Bulblins…"

"You killed four Bulblins and a Kargarok by yourself?" the third Knight questioned, wide-eyed. "In your first fight? How bad did you get hurt?"

"I didn't," Link answered. "Get hurt, I mean. But yes, I killed four Bulblins and a Kargarok."

The fifth Knight, who had been silent so far, finally spoke. His voice was calmer and deeper than the others, and Link suspected that he was the leader of the unit.

"You shouldn't let the death of goblins concern you, whether they are Bulblins, Bokoblins, or even Moblins. They are creatures of evil, boy. They live to murder and pillage. There are many creatures in this world, and not all of them are equal. Goblins, Lizalfos, Dinolfos, Dodongos, Tektites, Kargaroks, and many others are simply evil, and should not be treated as though they are the same as Hylians, humans, Zora, or Gorons. Do not let their deaths concern you. You have admirable skill and heart, but do not misplace your pity and compromise your ability to protect yourself and others."

Link looked up at the Knight. He was several inches taller than Link, wearing a chainmail shirt emblazoned with the royal crest, flexible gauntlets, and greaves. On his steel helm there was the mark of an eagle, which Link recognized from Falo's old armor; this man was a low-ranking commanding officer. The man appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties. His light brown hair and green eyes made a striking combination as he looked at Link with a stern, yet compassionate, expression.

"I – thank you, sir," Link said at length. In truth, hearing those words from another person did much to lighten his emotional load, even if they did not completely obliterate it. He gave a relieved smile.

Standing, the older Knight walked over to Link and presented his hand.

"My name is Hawke; Sergeant Hawke of the Hylian Knights. Have you ever considered joining the Hylian Knights?"

Link took his hand. "Link, of Ordon. Yes sir, I've thought about it, but" – and here he grinned – "I don't think I would be able to handle all the seriousness with authority. I'd at least like to see some more of Hyrule on my own before I settle into anything as strict as the military."

Hawke raised an eyebrow. "I see. But Ordon, you say? Is that not the hometown of former Vice-general Faro, his son, the former Captain Falo, and his grandson, Fado?"

"Yep," Link replied, still grinning, a mischievous glint in his eye. "The first two are good friends of mine. I studied strategy under Old Man Faro and swordsmanship under my pal Falo. And just the other week I accidentally bruised Fado's ribs in a sparring match with practice swords."

Hawke looked impressed. "So you've studied under Faro and Falo? No wonder you're so good. It's a pity you don't want to join the Knights; you would make a great addition." He looked thoughtful. "Tell me, though, do you have much experience with the bow? I heard that you killed three of the beasts with single arrows in today's battle."

Link shook his head. "I've done a little target practice with Falo's old bow, but nothing more than that. I spent all my training time with swords. I guess I'm just a natural."

"An amazing natural, if that's what you are," commented the first Knight Link had encountered. "You're at least as good as me, and I've been practicing all my life – I don't use any other weapons at all, I'm solely an archer." He shook his head. "You're something else, kid."

"Heh, I like the sound of that," laughed Link.

**END CHAPTER THREE**

**COMING IN CHAPTER FOUR: DISCOVERIES**

After spending a few days in Napils, Link decides to set out again, this time toward Lon Lon Village. Once there, he discovers that something strange is afoot and sees more evidence of troubles coming to Hyrule. When attempting to uncover the source of the town's problems, he stumbles upon something quite unexpected.


	4. Discoveries

**Notes:** Not much to say before this chapter. Thanks for the reviews, and if it so pleases you, continue to R&R. We begin to approach the titular character's introduction…

**Previous Chapter Summary**: After leaving Ordon, Link travels for several days in the Rolling Plains of Hyrule Field. One evening, he is attacked by a group of four Bulblins, a Bulbo, and a Kargarok. Using his quick wits, superior skills, and incredible luck, he defeats them without injury. However, his heart is put into turmoil from his first time taking another creature's life. He continues his journey, arriving at a small village called Napils as it comes under attack by a flock of Kargaroks. With the assistance of a company of Knights, he defeats the Kargaroks and finally has a chance to relax. The company leader, Sergeant Hawke, assures him that certain creatures are evil and need not be pitied, but this does not completely get rid of his emotional difficulties.

**CHAPTER FOUR: Discoveries**

Location: Rolling Plains  
Time: Early afternoon of the thirty-sixth day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

"I'm starting to feel like an idiot, talking to myself like this," remarked Link.

Link had spent the last few days, up to two days ago, in the small village of Napils, resting, restocking, and learning the rumors. It was the third of those things that most interested him. After all, he had left Ordon in great part because he felt that there was some impending disaster that he needed to combat. Sure enough, there were plenty of happenings to rouse suspicion. No nationwide events had occurred as of yet, but there were plenty of unusual things happening locally.

Link had learned his first important piece of information from Hawke's company of Knights.

_Hawke looked at Link seriously. "I'm not surprised you're asking. I would say that it's simply natural to want to know the news, but I get the feeling you have a more specific reason for asking about recent happenings. Well, you won't be disappointed if you're expecting me to tell you that things are starting to look sour. The Kargarok attack here wasn't the first sign of unusual monster behavior that we've seen since we left Castle City to patrol a few weeks ago. The Bulblins have been more active in their raiding, and Lon Lon has had trouble with Bokoblins trying to get inside the village. This wasn't the only Kargarok assault, either. I don't know what's got the monsters acting up, but something has. And based on the reports of other Knights, this isn't the only area with problems. The Hills have been having problems with Lizalfos and in the mountains Tektites and Dodongos are causing a fuss. It's getting dangerous to travel. With your skills, you should be all right, but be careful if you plan to go alone."_

But it seemed that monsters weren't the only problem, as Link found out from one of the villagers.

_The village doctor, an old woman with some knowledge of herbs, shook her head sadly. "I've been seein' far more people than I'd like. There ain't been that many cases of serious illness, thank the goddesses, but there've been more than usual. What's really causin' problems is the minor sicknesses – late spring and so far this summer there've been at least five times as many people fallen sick as usual. I can feel it in the air – there's some fell breeze beginnin' to blow, you mark my words."_

A traveler who had just come from Lon Lon Village happened to arrive on Link's third day in town, so Link questioned him about the most recent state of affairs in the ranch-based village. The traveler was eager to oblige his request.

_"Lon Lon? Yeah, there's stuff goin' on there, all right. You ever been there? No? Well, first, let me tell you – Lon Lon isn't just some rinky-dink place like this. Nah, it's a pretty big town. In fact, it's about as big as Kakariko – except bigger, land wise, 'cause of the ranch takes up a lot o' space. Well, anyways, there's some funny stuff goin' on there. I'm glad I left when I did. The mayor, a fella' by the name of Talon – he owns the ranch, too – he's been actin' kinda strange lately. All funny like. I don't know details, but people say he's not like himself at all! And at night, there's these loud scratchin' noises everywhere. People been attacked by Guay, too – you know, those big ol' crows. You should steer clear if you know what's good for you, you know!"_

That information seemed more specific, less generalized to the land as a whole, but still extremely significant, so Link had decided to make Lon Lon his next destination. Yesterday morning, he had left Napils with a renewed supply of food and water and a slightly lighter wallet – he only had 60 rupees now. Having gotten used to talking with the villagers, he was bored and a little lonely on the road by himself, so he had started talking aloud to sift through his thoughts.

"But, I suppose there's no real reason for me to feel like an idiot when no one can hear me except me. I could _sing_ and no one would laugh at me! La la laaaa!"

He skipped for a few feet before returning to a walk. He snickered. "Ahh, that felt good. It was a little weird being in a place where everyone thought I was some amazing guy. It's nice to be able to relax, even if I am just by myself." He looked up at the sky. "Even the heat doesn't seem to be as bad, for some reason. Maybe that's because there's a breeze right now."

He fell silent for a while, enjoying the slight breeze. Then he said, "You know, if I'm going to fight flying enemies, I should probably see if I can get my hands on a bow as soon as I can. Maybe I can fine one for sale in Lon Lon… I doubt it, though. I'd have better luck in Castle City." He thought for a little while, then mused, "I wonder why the Triforce burned like that when I used a bow back in Napils. Even the Sage couldn't tell me exactly what all the Triforce of Courage does, so I'll probably never know, but I'm curious. Oh, well. I should reach Lon Lon sometime around midday tomorrow, if what I was told about how far it was is true. I'm glad I haven't run into any more Bulblins since I left the village.

"Hmm. I need something to whistle or hum or sing beside the Lost Woods music. Let's see if I can come up with something… Lessee… Da da da daa daaa da da-da dada daaa, da da da da daa da da-da dada daaa…"

Location: Just outside of Lon Lon Village, Rolling Plains side

Time: Noon of the thirty-seventh day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

Link gazed at the walls of the village. Village was an understatement, he decided. The boundaries might not be of the strongest stones and represent the best fortification, but the settlement was surrounded by walls some fifteen feet high made out of a combination of wood, metal, and rock. What made this even more impressive was the fact that the circular town's diameter was more miles than he cared to estimate. Even if most of the area was taken up by the ranch, that was still a big place.

He approached the nearest gate in the wall, which was made of vertical bars, and called out.

"Oyy! Traveler at the gate! Anyone home?"

A few moments later, a pair of men appeared on the other side of the gate, clutching gisarmes. Upon seeing Link, they relaxed slightly, but they did not let down their guard. The taller of the two men replied, "Who goes?"

Grinning, Link answered, "Link, of Ordon, a traveler who has wandered from his home to right wrongs and defeat evil. With my swords" – he swiftly drew his weapons – "I will put an end to all monsters that threaten the peace of the land." Bowing, he added, "I have heard that this grand village is troubled, and I would seek to solve what problems I am able. For this reason, I ask that I be permitted entry through the gate." Link laughed inwardly. _My, this is fun!_

The shorter of the two men unlocked the gate and opened it while the former addressed Link.

"I would have warned you away from this place if you had known nothing," he said as Link came up to him. "We're no safer within these walls than outside them. The gates must be kept shut to protect against the Bokoblins, but in the village itself is a threat that is just as frightening. I'll lead you to the militia's headquarters – we can explain the situation there."

Link nodded, his face serious. Things must have gotten even worse in the few days since that traveler had left Lon Lon. Yet, for some reason, Link did not feel frightened. He was apprehensive, true, but there was another part of him that was excited. Somehow, it felt _right_ that he was stepping up to face unknown dangers. It felt _natural_ that he should put his life on the line to protect these people. It was a feeling that ran deeper than the instinctive obviousness of helping those whose troubles he could see. That he had never faced true danger until about a week ago (barring the encounter with Dark Link) didn't seem to matter.

The two guards, after re-securing the gate, led Link into the village. The village's organization was rather odd; it seemed that there were neighborhoods here and there, with vast stretches in between them. There were far more buildings than Link had ever seen in one place – it dwarfed Ordon. It took almost two hours of walking before they reached the largest collection of buildings, the commercial and political center of Lon Lon. The two lead him inside a large two-story building.

A bearded man sat at a desk in the first room. He looked up when the three of them entered. His eyes rested on Link's two swords, and his face split into an excited smile.

"Don't tell me – you're here to help us!" he exclaimed.

"That's right!" Link said. "Although, I don't really know all the details yet – my information is a little dated… it's about five days old, and even then it wasn't everything. So, what exactly has been going on?"

"Let me take you to the captain," the bearded man insisted, grabbing Link's hand and practically dragging him through the door to the next room, up the stairs, and into yet another room. Link found himself face-to-face with a middle-aged man in overalls who had muscular arms and a tall, stocky build. The man's brown eyes surveyed the tunic-wearing boy with interest. He gestured to a chair before grabbing one for himself.

"Siddown, kid. You're gonna need it."

Link unshouldered his backpack and obliged, careful to make sure his swords didn't hit anything at odd angles. He faced the man resolutely. He absently noted that the bearded man had left.

"I'm Mick, the captain of Lon Lon's militia," the man said by way of introduction.

"Link, of Ordon."

"So you came here to hear what the trouble is so you could help, huh? Well, if you still wanna help after I tell you, you're either stupid or brave. Ready to hear it?"

"Absolutely. I cannot see others in need of my help and not help them. It's just the way I am," he smiled. "And the swords aren't just for show – I can fight."

Mick gave a humorless smile in return. "Well, that's good, 'cause you'd be dead if you couldn't. I'll start at the beginning."

Mick leaned back. "I guess it started about three weeks ago, though we didn't notice it at the time. There had been a hellava storm. Lightning struck several buildings, and we had to put 'em out. The mayor, Talon, started talking about making sure that everything was safe. Made sense, of course, since damaged property is damaged property, ya know? But that was probably the start of it.

"You see, Talon's always been the laid-back sort of guy. Likes a good drink and then a long nap. Usually leaves running the town to me and my men and running the ranch to the workers and his younger brother. They say he took after his grandpa, who liked to lay about instead of doing his job. Well, anyway, Talon didn't seem to wanna relax after that storm. Seemed mighty interested in making sure that everybody was all right, that all our stuff was okay. In fact, over the next week, he got more and more into it, even though everything was already accounted for. Micromanaging, I think they call it. Soon, everything had to be done perfect, or he would lose his head and start yelling something or other. That was when we noticed something was wrong.

"That was about a week and a half ago – about ten days ago. Right around then, accidents started happening out at the ranch. The animals got real spooked all the sudden, and they attacked the handlers. It didn't change the next day; if anything, it got worse. Nobody could control the animals at all. Talon was screaming in worry."

Mick leaned forward and stared Link in the eyes.

"Then all the sudden, it stopped. The animals acted real calm, and Talon was real calm too. But not relaxed calm, more like…dead calm. I saw Talon's eyes, and I don't know what I saw – they looked like a dead man's eyes. One of the ranch hands told me the animals were like that too.

"Then, seven days ago, it got different at night. There was this scratching noise coming from the ranch. It sounded…sort of like those skull-spiders, the Skulltulas. You ever seen one of them? There's several different kinds – the wall ones, which are about as big as your chest plus legs; the gold kind, which are about the same size, but rarer and deadlier; and the giant kind, which have bodies at least as long as a man is tall. Well, we militia went out to investigate, but we couldn't find anything. During the next day, Talon started reaching out toward anyone who came close, like he was gonna wrap 'em in a hug, but it was disturbing. He wouldn't say anything. Nobody would go out to the ranch anymore.

"That night, the scratching noise started to spread throughout the whole town. Everybody stayed locked inside. Then during the day, all the Guay that fly around started attacking people, and we had our hands full fighting off the crows. The next night, it got worse. Me and my men checked around, but we didn't see anything 'til we got to the ranch."

Mick closed his eyes and shuddered.

"The old warehouse out at the ranch…was _crawling_ with Skulltulas. I ain't talking about fifteen or twenty; there had to be more than two hundred, and more inside! And…that wasn't the worst of it."

Link stared at the man in horror.

"There's worse?"

Mick nodded grimly. "Lots worse. Tell me, kid – have you ever heard of the walking dead?"

_"Stalfos? What's a Stalfos?" Link asked, confused. Saria giggled._

_ "Oh, I'm sorry, sometimes I forget how different things are now," she apologized. "A Stalfos is a type of monster. They're skeleton warriors that walk about and fight, powered by black magic." She made a face. "They're horrible. There are smaller versions of them that don't use weapons called Stalchildren, too. The Hero of Time was so good at fighting the Stalfos – he cleared out a lot of them from the temple." She gestured at the ruins behind her._

_ "So… they're skeletons that move around?" Link said, disgusted. Saria nodded, sympathetic._

_ "Truly horrible."_

Link gulped and nodded. "Yeah…I have."

"Well, there must have been at least thirty skeletons roaming around. Some of 'em were little, like kids, but at least half of them were as big as me or bigger and carrying swords and shields. My men and me – well, we ran for it, to tell the truth. I'm still not sure whether anything we did woulda made a difference, but..." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, over the last few days it's gotten worse. Guay have been attacking during the morning and evening, and the spiders and skeletons have been roaming farther and farther away from the ranch every night. So far, nobody's died, but several people have had to abandon their homes and move farther away from the ranch."

The Ordon villager was thinking hard. "Have any of your men fought against the spiders or skeletons?" he asked.

Militia captain Mick nodded. "Yeah, and some of 'em are still abed from their injuries. We've killed five of the big spiders and at least that many of the small ones. The remains from the few skeletons we destroyed turned to dust. We only fought the little ones, though."

Mick looked out the window. "They should come out this far tonight. I'm not sure what we're gonna do. Even with your help, we can't hope to kill them all."

Thoughts flew through Link's head. Thoughts such as "we're all going to die!" and "this is hopeless!" and "if I run now, maybe I'll stand a chance!" He shook his head vigorously. _No,_ he admonished himself, _I am not going to run. I am not going to give up. I'm going to fight, and I'm going to save these people, even if I have to die to do it. I'm going to find out what's causing all this and destroy the source!_

He glanced around the room, which was mostly barren except for a few chairs, a filing cabinet, a desk, and a weapon rack. His eyes fell on an extremely old-looking bow which was fully strung.

"What's that?" he asked abruptly. Mick turned to look.

"Oh, that. That's been in the militia since as long as anyone can remember. Nobody knows how old it is, or what kind of wood it's made of, or even what the string is made of. It seems to be unbreakable. It would be an incredible weapon if anyone could actually use it."

"You can't?" Link asked.

"Nope. Nobody can pull it. I've tried, and I don't think it's the pull that's the problem. I think it's got a spell of some kind on it."

Guided by some inner impulse, Link stood up and walked over to the bow. It stood about up to his chest. As he stood next to it, a strange feeling rose up inside of him. He knew, somehow, that he would be able to use the bow. He knew that he _should_ use the bow, that it was _his_ bow. He reached out and wrapped his left hand around it.

There was a tingling, and then suddenly a huge shock of power ran through his body from the bow. The back of his hand burned. And then, as suddenly as it had started, it was over. Picking it up, he switched hands so that he could draw it back with his left. He was ambidextrous, but it somehow felt right to use it left-handed. Grasping the string with his fingers, he pulled.

The captain watched in amazement as the teenage boy effortlessly drew the string all the way back and let it go, a twang sounding from the vibrating string. He continued to stare as the boy turned back to him, a smile on his face, and said, "Can I have it?"

"Yeah…" was all the middle-aged man could manage.

*  
Location: Lon Lon Village, near the warehouse tower of the ranch  
Time: Late Evening of the thirty-seventh day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

Link stood alone, his bow in his right hand, and watched the sun continue to sink beneath the horizon. He had left his backpack at the militia headquarters, figuring that it would get in his way when he fought. After borrowing a bag to carry his Deku Nuts, which he affixed to his belt, he had strapped a quiver full of thirty arrows across his back so that it would be easy to draw them with his left hand. His potions were concealed inside a second pouch on his belt. He had told Mick to stand guard back in the village, while the green-clothed boy went alone to the ranch. At first, Mick had balked at the idea, saying that it was suicide. After Link had argued that the fact that the bow had chosen him meant that he was intended to solve the town's problem, and that anyway at least only one person would die if something went wrong instead of lots of people, Mick had given in.

One thing that had surprised Link when he had reached the ranch was that none of the animals (or Talon, whom he had discovered sitting in a daze) were harmed, apart from being in an unnatural stupor. He had expected to find their bones, if that much. Why had the abominations left the animals alone?

A second thing that had surprised him was that although there were clear signs of destruction on the ranch buildings, none of the nightly horrors was anywhere to be seen. Though he was initially surprised, he was actually grateful for this on multiple levels. First, it postponed the time he would have to face the monsters. Second, it meant that there was a chance he would get to see where the monsters were coming from.

The instant the sun vanished beneath the horizon, the ranch came alive with skull-backed spiders and undead horrors.

The perfectly still earth erupted all around him with skeletons clawing their way into the night air. Gigantic spiders began to swarm out of the warehouse tower windows. Glancing around rapidly, Link noticed that none of the other buildings had spiders emerging from them. That meant that the source of the spiders was the warehouse… or, perhaps, _underneath_ the warehouse. His mind whirring, he tried to see if he could find some common point other than just "down" for where the skeletons had come from. There didn't seem to be, but –

_Wait,_ he thought. _I can't see it from here, but maybe there's a pattern… I need to get up somewhere. I need to see this from above._ He spotted another tall structure, which, luckily, happened to have one of its walls partially destroyed, rendering it scalable. Ignoring the skeletons, he ran as fast as he could toward the building, dodging any blows directed at him. Upon reaching it, he scrambled up, fitting his bow over his shoulder so that he could use both hands. Once at the top, he was a good forty feet up. He scanned the area.

Masses upon masses of spiders were spewing from the warehouse and beginning to crawl across the ground. Mick had been right, there were hundreds of them. The skeletons had begun prowling around, but yet more skeletons were still rising from under the earth, giving Link a good look at the general pattern. He gasped.

It was a spiral. A spiral, centering on… something other than the warehouse. It centered on single rock jutting out of the ground about one hundred yards away from the warehouse and about sixty yards away from the building where Link was standing.

"Time to test out the range on this thing – and my accuracy," Link said, pulling out his bow and knocking an arrow to it. "Let's see what happens. Here goes an arrow!"

He aimed and let fly. The arrow struck the rock dead on. An eardrum-shattering explosion caused Link to look at the warehouse – or rather, where the warehouse had been. The building, spiders and all, had exploded in flames, leaving a crater at least eighty feet across in the ground. In the rapidly dying light of the fire, Link spotted a large hole in the ground in the center of the crater.

"I must be insane," he muttered as he clambered down the building to run toward it.

**END CHAPTER FOUR**

**COMING IN CHAPTER FIVE: TOMB**

Link heads down the hole to find the source of the undead and spider plague. What awaits him is an ancient underground structure – what appears to be a mass tomb. And like any mysterious underground tomb, there are traps, monsters, and treasures to be found. And one piece of treasure is quite different from the rest…


	5. Tomb

**Notes:** Well, those who are just now starting reading the story won't notice, but those who read the first four chapters when I initially posted them… this chapter was delayed for quite some time due to numerous life problems. I offer my sincerest apologies. I'm back home now, so I'll be writing up a storm (or trying to, at any rate). Here, Link has his first dungeon crawl. Enjoy the chapter!

**Previous Chapter Summary:** After hearing about the increased sicknesses and monster attacks, Link also learns that something strange is happening at Lon Lon. Traveling to the "village," he is told by the captain of the militia about a strange change of behavior of the mayor, Talon, and the animals. Even more troubling is the news that literally hundreds of Skulltulas and dozens of Stalfos have come from somewhere in the ranch and plague the village at night. Picking up a magical bow, which no one else could wield, he heads for the ranch to destroy the source of the problem. Due to quick thinking and no small amount of luck, he finds an entrance to somewhere underground and heads for it.

**CHAPTER FIVE: Tomb**

Location: Underneath Lon Lon Ranch  
Time: Night of the thirty-seventh day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

"Well, this should be fun."

Those were the first, sarcastic words out of Link's mouth after jumping in the hole and falling at least forty feet to land on a giant Skulltula. Getting up off the squashed bug, not a little surprised to find that he was only a bit banged up, he glanced around the underground place he found himself in. It was a futile effort, he decided quickly, as it was far too dark to see anything; though he certainly _heard_ something – the scratching noise of multiple Skulltulas from all directions. Pulling out a pair of Deku Nuts with each hand, he threw them in different directions.

In the flash of light that resulted, Link gave a wry grin. There were four giant Skulltulas on the ground, each of which stood at least three-quarters as tall as he did. Hanging from the earthen ceiling some ten feet higher than his head were an additional three. A number of "wall Skulltulas" crawled around on the ground slightly further out than the giant ones. The floor was covered in debris. The walls were too far away for Link to see in the light from the Deku Nuts.

The spiders appeared stunned by the sudden burst of light, but unfortunately for Link, that wasn't going to help when he couldn't see either. Drawing his swords, he silently prayed to the goddesses for help. As if in answer, the Triforce began to glow on the back of his hand. Quickly sheathing his swords and pulling off his glove, which he stowed with his potions, he discovered that it had begun to shed enough light for him to see up to about eight feet away. The spiders that he could see had already begun moving again, so he once again armed himself and brought the battle to them.

A single strike to the back of the nearest Skulltula made it painfully clear that his swords could not penetrate the thick carapace of the arachnids. Not wasting a moment on disappointment, he thrust his left sword at the spider's eyes. The oversized bug crouched, raising its foremost legs slightly, and his sword skittered off of the appendages. Without turning, Link reacted to movement caught in the corner of his eye and fended off a lunge from a second Skulltula with a slash from his right sword. A dull purple glow emanated from the ground some few feet into the darkness, and the rapid scratching of one of the wall spiders rushing along the ground toward him caused him to instinctively jump. The arachnid flew by underneath him.

As soon as he landed, he rolled forward, away from the giant bugs on his right and left. Whirling around, he leapt high, landing on the back of the one that had tried to blindside him. From his current vantage point, he could see that he was dangerously close to one of the hanging spiders, and that another one of the ground-bound giants had crept up on the other side of his "footstool." Thinking quickly, he crouched low, spreading his feet wide to maintain balance on the moving creature. Flipping his swords into reverse grip, he brought them in quickly, driving them in the space between the leg sockets on the underside of the spider he was riding. An irritating high-pitched noise came from the spider as it bucked uncontrollably. Jumping off, he ignored the squirming of his second opponent and slashed inward at the lower front of the newest spider with his right sword. As he expected, it concentrated its legs there, leaving its head exposed for his concurrent thrust from his left sword. The single strike slew the arachnid, and he whipped around to face the unharmed original foe.

It lunged at him, and he took advantage of its attack to drop and thrust upward with his left, skewering its head from below. At the same time, he lashed out at the thrashing second spider with his right, severing its head from beneath. His heart beat faster, and his eyes came to life. He began to grin. Blood pounded in his ears. Unburdened by the thought of killing thinking creatures, for these were mere bugs, he had regained the thrill of battle.

When one of the ceiling spiders began to descend, he glanced upward to determine which side was its underside, which he had successfully determined from the spider he had stood upon was a weak point. At the last moment, he jumped backwards and thrust with his right while slashing with his left, utterly destroying the bug. When a pair of glowing purple spiders rushed him, he was ready, and he skewered them with downward stabs from either sword – the carapace of the smaller variety proved not strong enough to deter his blades.

As more spiders crawled from the darkness around him, the battle turned into a seemingly endless melee. Any observer would have been hard pressed to follow the flow of combat, as Link's rapid and independent movements slew spider after spider with such astounding accuracy that there was scarcely a wasted stroke. Ten minutes later found a fully exhilarated Link standing amidst a slew of arachnid corpses with a battle-grin on his bug-juice spattered face. He had not escaped injury; both arms, both legs, and his chest all sported at least one significant wound apiece. However, the damage his foes had taken had been absolute. The final count included thirty giant Skulltulas and almost twice as many small ones.

As the thrill of battle subsided, the pain of his injuries and the exhaustion of such sustained combat hit him instantly. His knees buckled, and he found himself sitting awkwardly on the ground, his weapons dropping to the earth beside him.

"Well," he commented aloud after a minute of catching his breath, "I'm still alive, at least." He surveyed the nearest corpses in the dimming light; his Triforce mark's glow had begun to fade. "That's a lot of spiders," he remarked. He blinked in the darkness when his mark's light completely vanished.

Rummaging in his pouches, he retrieved his glove and slipped it back over his left hand, obscuring the golden tattoo once more. Sighing heavily, he pulled out a bottle and shook it.

"Nope, wrong one," he said, switching it with the other. He unstoppered the second bottle and downed the contents – his partially used red potion. Stuffing it back in its pouch, he tried to stand. With great effort and not a little wobbling, he managed to rise to his feet. Then he remembered that his swords were still on the ground. Shaking his head, he crouched down to pick up his weapons. His knees gave out again, and he landed on his face.

_Well, that's just great,_ he thought. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, wincing at the pain. _Way to go. I can take on a horde of man-sized, man-eating spiders, but I can't keep myself from face-planting in the leftovers._ With that thought in mind, he quickly wiped his face off with the sleeve of his tunic, which was in worse shape than his face to begin with. He made a disgusted face.

Remembering the reason he face-planted, he groped for his swords. He moved to sheathe them, then hesitated. They were covered with Skulltula guts. Unfortunately, there was nothing to clean them with. Shrugging (and wincing again), he wiped them thoroughly on his tunic, figuring that it was so messed up anyway that it wouldn't make any difference. When he was satisfied, which took a while since he had to imagine how clean they were – he was working in complete darkness – he placed them into their respective sheaths and contemplated his next move.

"Well," he pondered, "it's not like I've figured out what the problem is yet. So I have to keep exploring down here. The spiders aren't attacking anymore, which probably means there aren't any left nearby. And even though I drank that potion, I'm still hurt worse than I've ever been in my whole life." For a moment, he wondered why the severity of his wounds wasn't causing him emotional or mental distress. Maybe it part of the whole Hero thing that the Sage of Forest told him about. Regardless, he decided, however much he might want to save the other potion for later, if he wanted to be able to tackle any more enemies, he'd have to drink it now. Reluctantly, he did just that, downing the potion in one go, gasping for air when he finished.

A feeling of warmth spread throughout his body, and immediately all pain from his injuries vanished. It felt like a hot bath after a long day's training. He closed his eyes and basked in the sensation. Then, as quickly as it had come, the warmth faded away, leaving him feeling perfectly refreshed.

"Now, for a light."

Pulling out a Deku Nut, he threw it as hard as he could in a randomly chosen direction. It struck the ground some hundred feet away with its usual _crack_ and briefly lit up the area, revealing the absence of anything noteworthy. Cautiously, Link made his way in that direction, feeling his steps before taking them so as to not trip over any slain arachnids. When he reached what he thought was approximately where the nut had fallen, he repeated the trick, throwing the next nut in the same direction.

This time the short flash of light didn't disappoint. In the instant that the distant spot was illuminated, Link made out the edge of a stone floor and what looked like a stone torch brazier. Suddenly he felt a surge of excitement. Who knew what lay beyond? This area had likely not been visited for many long years – decades, centuries, millennia; there was no telling how long it had been since another had laid eyes on it. In spite of the gravity of the situation up above and the dangers below, Link felt a shudder of gleeful anticipation. This was what adventure meant!

This time, Link all but ran toward his destination. The instant he reached the threshold of the stone floor, the torch flared to life, causing him to halt in surprise. His guard immediately went back up. There was magic here. He reached slowly for his swords when something caught his eye and he stopped, dumbfounded. His sleeves and gloves were completely whole and undeniably clean. He turned to examine every part of his clothing he could see. Nowhere were the rips and tears that had been made by the vicious attacks of the spiders. Nowhere were the bug juices and arachnid guts that had splashed all over him. His tunic and leggings had been completely mended and cleaned.

_What the? I _know _the potion didn't do that!_ He thought about it for a moment. _I guess it's not too strange, actually, given that the clothes resize to fit me. I can bet this will prove quite handy, though._

A soft clicking sound brought Link's attention back to his surroundings. He peered forward. The light from the touch lit up a good twenty feet in each direction brightly and about twice that again in increasingly dim illumination. From what he could see, it appeared that he was close to the wall of the room, perhaps fifty feet or so. He thought he could make out a stone passageway and another torch brazier at the edge of his field of vision. Finishing his initial action of drawing his weapons, he walked slowly toward the passage.

Once again, when he reached the next torch a flame blazed up in the brazier. Now he could easily see the passage. It was a stone corridor about ten feet wide that went straight forward. Another few torches, spaced about twenty feet apart, lined the interior. At first cautiously, then with increasing easiness, he began to walk down the hallway, torches lighting up as he went.

He had traveled nearly eighty feet when he heard the clicking noise again, louder this time. When he reached the next torch, he discovered its source.

There was a fork in the passage. At regular intervals, a click would resonate, and a wall would materialize over one of the halls. Each interval, the wall would dematerialize from its former passage and materialize to block the other. On the wall was some form of writing. Link leaned close to read it.

"Isch…Mabjilb…Daguusit…Alozxir…This makes no sense! Half the symbols aren't even letters!"

Link stared at the meaningless jumble of characters. Then it dawned on him.

"Of course!" He smacked his forehead lightly with the hilt of his right-hand sword. "Of course it makes no sense. Why would it? It's probably in another language altogether! Though," he mused, "that does put me at a bit of a disadvantage, seeing as I have no idea what it says."

He looked between the two passages indecisively. "Left or right?" he murmured. He glanced down at the glove hiding the Triforce mark. "Left it is." The wall clicked again, opening the passageway. He promptly stepped through the entry and proceeded down the corridor.

The left side of the hall was lined with what looked like large doorways covered with slabs of different kind of stone. Every stone slab had something written on it. The green-clad boy looked interestedly at them, but they made no more sense than the writing from before.

"I wonder what they say?" he pondered aloud, his voice echoing. He reached out and placed his hand against one. Immediately, there was a rumble, and the slab sank into the floor. He blinked in surprise, then gazed into the now-open room.

It was lined with coffins. Each one of the marble containers was adorned with some form of artwork. One was covered with some kind of fancy cloth Link had never seen before; another sported an assortment of vases and other pottery; several more were draped with strings of pretty stones. In all, Link counted eight coffins. The far wall held a torch brazier (which lit when he entered the room) and a large plaque filled with more of the strange writing. Link stared around in wonder.

"Is this…a tomb?"

He had heard of tombs before from old Faro, but he had never seen one. Back in Ordon, they buried the dead in individually marked graves. According to the boy's elderly friend, however, there were some places in Hyrule where entire families were buried in large structures, often underground, which were called tombs. This ancient site seemed to be just such a burial site.

"_And in those tombs, my boy, they don't just put the dead," Faro said._

_ "They don't?" asked a thirteen-year-old Link, confused._

_ "Nope! They also throw in valuables like jewelry or art that the dead valued in life. Because of that, there are people who care nothing about the people inside who break into the tomb to steal from them."_

_ "That's really mean! They should respect the dead!"_

_ "I know, Link, I know. But there are some people out there who are like that. Anyway, to protect the tomb against robbers, some tombs have traps. Dangerous traps that could take your life!"_

Link shuddered at that recollection. Even if there weren't any other monsters (which he doubted) he would still have to be careful of traps. He turned to leave, only to hear another rumble and watch the slab rise up and block his way out. His heart sped up as he placed his hand on the slab, willing it to open. To his immense relief, it did.

For the next several hours, Link explored the branching passageways of what he determined was definitely an ancient tomb. He had avoided, among other traps, a set of spiked clamps that constantly mashed across the path (the trick was to pay attention to the timing), a rolling boulder he accidentally triggered by stepping on a raised stone, and a giant scythe which swung across a spike-bottomed pit in the floor. He encountered several more Skulltulas, but not in the numbers he had before. The coffin rooms were becoming increasingly more elaborate. After about four hours, he opened up one of them to a rather nasty surprise.

The room contained four marble coffins, every one of which was broken open. Link halted in surprise. Had the place been robbed before he had arrived? That would mean that someone else had been here before him. He could sense danger. Holding his swords out, he edged into the room.

The slab sprang up behind him with a resounding crash. He glanced backwards at it, hesitant and distinctly uneasy. Then he heard the moaning.

Horrible, painful moans that set his nerves on edge emanated from the coffins. Stepping into a ready stance, Link waited, his danger sense going wild. A withered, decaying hand shot up from the coffin nearest him. He flinched and wrinkled his nose, unsure whether he was more disgusted or…well, disgusted.

The hand was followed by another, and soon a corpse was pulling itself out of the wrecked coffin. Where its eye sockets should have been were glowing black orbs that radiated a sense of corruption. Horrified, Link watched in numb shock as the other three coffins spewed forth similar bodies. The nearest one slowly turned to face him and let out an ear-splitting shriek.

Link felt a surge of panic. As the monster walked toward him, he tried to run, but his limbs wouldn't obey him. _Move!_ he thought frantically. The walking corpse stretched its arms out toward him, moaning. _Move!_ The stench of the monstrosity triggered Link's gag reflex, but whatever paralysis had hold of him would not even permit him to vomit. He stared into the would-be eyes of the walking corpse as it slowly wrapped its arms and legs around him. Its mouth opened as it leaned toward his neck. _Move!_

The Triforce mark burned on the back of his hand, and suddenly the spell was broken. Link thrashed violently, attempting to shake the monster off, but it clung on doggedly. In a last ditch effort to throw it off, he stabbed inward at its sides with both swords. It dropped back to the stone floor. With panic-fueled haste, he viciously attacked the creature until it fell to the ground and stopped moving. The other three _things_ turned slowly and began to walk. _No, no, no! I can't let them get close to me! I have to kill them from a distance! … Distance… My bow!_

Dropping his swords, Link snatched his bow off his back and fit an arrow to it, aiming at the head of the closest of the abominations. The mark on his hand pulsing, he let the arrow fly. It struck true, piercing directly through one of the black eye orbs and exiting through the back of the fiend's skull. It gave a loud moan and shook convulsively, but it continued on its path. Not wasting a moment, the boy fired off a second arrow through the other orb. This time, the monster collapsed to the ground, destroyed.

Whirling to the other two, he loosed four arrows in quick succession, each hitting its inky mark. The other undead fell as well, and Link breathed a sigh of relief. At least, that's what he intended to do. Instead, he fell to his hands and knees and hurled.

Breathing heavily, he pushed himself to his feet again, picking up his weapons as he did. He found a strip of cloth that had once been draped over one of the coffins and used it to clean his swords before sheathing them.

"_Are there other monsters like that?" he asked the Sage of Forest._

_ "Yes, though I've never seen them," she replied. "The Hero of Time once told me that there are fiends that appear to be walking corpses called Redeads. He said that their scream can paralyze you."_

_ "That's pretty scary," he shuddered._

_ "Yes, it is, she agreed."_

"So," he said, his voice shaking slightly, "that's a Redead." He shuddered. "I hope I never see one ever again." He shook his head and then turned to face the stone slab that blocked his exit. He reached to touch it, but it slid down into the floor just before his fingertips could brush against it. Shrugging, he reentered the hall and continued his exploration.

The maze of hallways left him rather lost as to which direction he was facing, but he was fairly sure that he was still under the ranch. He turned a corner and came to an abrupt halt as he faced a dead end. The wall he faced had lots of writing on it as well as a series of other symbols. He thought he could distinguish what looked like a picture of a crown and a coat of arms.

"I bet it isn't a dead end," he whispered, a grin spreading across his face. "I bet it's a door."

Link walked up to the wall and studied the reliefs. In the center of the coat of arms was a circular hole that looked remarkably like a keyhole. He leaned up close and placed his eye against it. It was pitch dark, now that he had blocked the light of the nearby torch with his body, which meant that either it didn't extend to the other side or that the other side was unlit, either of which was perfectly likely. Withdrawing, he backtracked to one of the coffin rooms in which he had spotted a cylindrical stone that seemed, upon reflection, to be the key to the door. Picking it up (and waiting anxiously for a few seconds to see if he had triggered a trap), he returned to the wall and placed the key into the hole. It fit perfectly. There was a loud click, and then the wall rumbled off to the side, revealing a new room.

The room was a large, circular one about sixty feet in diameter. From the ceiling hung obsidian chandeliers which lit up the instant the door had slid out of sight. Along the walls were various tapestries and paintings; some depicted outdoor scenes, others battlefields, still others castles and thrones, and yet more which showed people in unfamiliar outfits. Throughout the room were ledges and platforms of differing heights holding treasures the likes of which the village boy had never seen or imagined: statues of stone and gem; amulets, necklaces, and other jewelry full of precious, glittering stones; suits of armor made of some unknown silvery metal adorned with the coat of arms; scepters of unharmed wood topped with diamonds; gold chalices studded with sapphires and emeralds; embroidered tunics of all colors; quilts and blankets made of cloths both recognizable and exotic; mounds of coins both silver and gold; and more. In the center of the room lay a large coffin draped with a red and purple cloth. Atop the cloth stood a framed portrait nearly three feet tall depicting a stern-looking human man (Link could tell he was human instead of Hylian because his ears were rounded instead of pointed) sporting a neatly trimmed silver beard. The man's eyes were a striking green; the painter had captured a feeling of total power in the man's gaze. The man wore robes as adorned as any in the room and a large jeweled gold crown. Lying in an indent in a vertical stone support behind the painting was a sword.

Link stumbled into the room, speechless. Never had he even imagined things like this existed. His situation and reason for being in the tomb completely forgotten, he wandered around the room in slack-jawed awe. He couldn't even properly process all that he was seeing. This was wealth beyond his dreams. He couldn't keep his eyes on a single object for long, for new ones were constantly catching his attention. It wasn't until he had explored the room for well over an hour that he finally let his eyes rest on the sword.

It was longer than his swords – much longer – but its blade was no wider or thicker. The silvery steel was unblemished. The hilt was a scintillating blue-violet. The cross-hilt curved back at the edges, such that an opponent's sword might slide off rather than becoming hooked in like with the sword that Dark Link had wielded. The main handle was barely long enough for two-handed use, causing Link to think that the sword was intended to be used with one hand despite its length; what Falo had called a hand-and-a-half sword. Embedded in the center of the cross-hilt was a single large hexagonal clear stone, with the parallel sides significantly longer than the other sides. Upon closer inspection, the Ordon native could see that there were hollows of various shapes on the underside of the hilt, as if differently shaped stones had once been embedded there. Link crept up and touched the hilt of the sword with his right hand.

With a loud _crack_, Link was thrown back nearly ten feet to land sprawled on the floor. The sword crackled with multicolored lightning and a voice spoke.

"Who disturbs King Lennard's tomb?" the voice said commandingly. It sounded like a woman's voice. "Who wakes me from my slumber?"

Link blinked, awed but unafraid. "Er…that would be me, I guess."

The lightning intensified. "Who are you? Speak your name!"

Link scrambled to his feet. "Link, of Ordon." He gave a clumsy bow.

"Why have you disturbed His Royal Majesty, King of the Arren Empire, Lord of All He Surveys' tomb?" the voice demanded.

"His royal king of sur-what now?" Link muttered under his breath, scratching his head. Aloud, he replied, "I search for the source of the curse that has befallen the land above this tomb. I know nothing of this King…" He paused and glanced around. "But I can tell he had expensive tastes, that's for sure," he added comfortably, mostly to himself.

The lightning faded slightly. "A curse, you say?" the voice asked, losing the power-filled command that had laced it and sounding simply like a curious young woman.

"A curse," Link confirmed. "Skulltulas, Stalfos, mysterious mind-numbed calm affecting the mayor and the animals…" The surprise of the situation had started to wear off, and now he spoke normally. "I shot a rock with an arrow; the warehouse where the spiders came from blew up and revealed a hole in the ground; I went down that hole; and I ended up wandering this tomb. And now I'm here, talking to you." He paused again. "Speaking of which, who, what, and where _are_ you?"

"Me?" The lightning vanished. The sword began to shimmer and a transparent girl who looked a few years older than Link appeared beside it. She had hair that fell to the middle of her back that constantly shifted colors. Her eyes did the same. She wore a flowing dress which shifted colors in waves of blue and green. She was slender but looked strong, sporting a build not unlike the Ordon swordsman's. She pushed her hair back behind her shoulders.

"My name is Aurora," she said. "The spirit of this sword, the Sword of Souls."

**END CHAPTER FIVE**

**COMING IN CHAPTER SIX: AURORA**

Having met Aurora, the Sword of Souls, Link must now decide on his next course of action. According to Aurora, the source of the curse is the revivification of the undead guardian of the tomb. However, the foe is strong and Link knows nothing about it. But he need not fight alone, for Aurora offers her aid.


	6. Aurora

**Previous Chapter Summary:** Jumping down the newly opened hole, Link immediately finds himself battling for his life against a horde of close to a hundred Skulltulas, both big and not-quite-as-big-but-still-not-small. He comes out alive but injured and drinks both potions to revitalize himself. Exploring the underground area leads him to discover a massive stone complex housing the burial chambers of countless people – a tomb. While searching for the cause of the disturbance, he encounters Redeads for the first time. Pressing onward, he comes across the burial grounds of a king, filled with treasures beyond imagination. When he touches one of those treasures, a hand-and-a-half sword, it comes to life and projects as a young woman, introducing herself as Aurora, the Sword of Souls.

**CHAPTER SIX: Aurora**

Location: King Lennard's Tomb (Underneath Lon Lon)  
Time: Wee hours of the thirty-eighth day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

Link blinked in surprise. "You're a…talking sword?"

The girl sighed. "Talking sword, talking sword, why is that the first thing you notice? Why not: "A girl with colorful hair," or "A girl in a pretty dress," or "A girl who sounded like a big scary person before she showed herself." I mean, really. Am I so uninteresting as to be unmentionable?" She looked at Link disappointedly.

"Er…" he hesitated, taken aback. "I'm…sorry?" He cleared his throat and gathered his thoughts. He bowed. "You're a beautiful girl with stunning eyes and a remarkable grasp of how to make people feel guilty. You're also a talking sword." He glanced up, a mischievous grin on his face. "Is that better?"

Aurora's lips twitched. "Much," she replied with a mostly straight face. Her eyes wandered over across Link's garb and equipment. "You're a swordsman?" she asked thoughtfully.

"Yes."

"How good are you? Wait, don't answer that. Every man who carries a weapon believes he is better than he is." She cleared her throat. "You said you were seeking the source of the curse, right?" she said, changing the subject.

"That's right," Link answered. "Do you know anything?" He hesitated. "Oh, right, you were asleep."

"That doesn't mean I don't know anything!" the transparent girl protested. Link cocked his head.

"So you _do_ know something?"

"I didn't say that…" she cautiously responded.

"So you _don't_ know anything." Link grinned inwardly. He was enjoying this.

"I didn't say that either."

"So you _do_ know something, but you don't want to tell me; _or_ you _don't_ know anything and you don't want to admit it," the green-clad boy concluded. Aurora glared at him.

"You're teasing me, aren't you," she demanded.

"Maaaybe." Link grinned mischievously at her.

Aurora suddenly burst into laughter, startling the villager. Her laugh was pretty but strong and full of energy, more uproarious than his sister's but just as beautiful. "I think I like you, Link!" she said. "Just for that, I'll tell you what I think is causing the problem. But whether you can fix it or not…that's up to you.

"This tomb has a guardian of sorts, a creature of baleful magics whose power is a double-edged sword. It can call forth spiders and raise undead under its command to ward enemies away from this place. Its name is Skull Rider. It itself is an undead skeleton knight that rides upon a gigantic Skulltula. It was made to sleep until the tomb was disturbed; but now it appears to have awakened and caused your curse. The stupor you described the mayor and animals in is a prelude to turning into creatures like Redeads. Skull Rider is a powerful enemy that many good swordsmen have failed to defeat, and if it isn't defeated soon, those affected will be unsalvageable."

Aurora watched Link closely for his reaction. He looked at her expectantly.

"Well? Where can I find this Skull Rider? I have to defeat him, right?" he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"You might very well just lose your life," she warned.

"So?" he replied, perplexed. "What's that got to do with anything? I knew that from the moment I agreed to solve this problem."

"So you intend to fight Skull Rider anyway?" she asked.

"Of course. That's what I'm here for."

The transparent girl eyed him calculatingly. "Aren't you afraid?"

Link looked her in the eyes as he responded seriously, "Of course I'm afraid. Who wouldn't be? But it's my job, my duty, my…my calling, my…_destiny_ to do this. All my life, I've never been able to see someone else in need of my help and not automatically helped them. And I know, I can _feel_, that I'm supposed to save Lon Lon Village from this curse. I mean… why else would I have this thing on the back of my hand if not to fight against danger that others can't?" he finished, pulling off his left glove and showing her the glittering tattoo.

"Triforce…" Aurora mouthed in surprise. She smiled. "I guess that explains why you don't want to give up. But you know," she said slyly, "just having a golden lantern on your hand won't assure your survival. You don't know the first thing about how to fight Skull Rider. Even if I told you where it is, there's no guarantee that you'll come out the victor. After all," she said nonchalantly, "you look like an amateur with those two swords. I doubt you'd last more than thirty seconds."

_What is she up to?_ Link wondered as he stared at her with a furrowed brow. _Is she teasing me? Well, I can roll with it. I need to get Skull Rider's location from her, so I might as well play along._

"I _am_ an amateur," Link shrugged. "I'm a pretty skilled amateur, though, if I do say so myself," he added with a grin, slipping his glove back on.

Aurora closed one eye. "Is that so? You look like you'll need some help to me."

"Well," Link said slowly, "_you_ could help me."

Aurora wrapped her right hand around her sword and lifted it from its resting place. "Me? Do you know what you're asking?" she questioned.

The Ordon boy scratched his head. "Er…for you to come with me and tell me how to beat it?" Aurora shook her head, her eyes shining to match her grin.

"No," she corrected, "you're asking me to become your sword." She lifted the blade above her head and pointed it at the ceiling above. "I am Aurora, Sword of Souls," she proclaimed in the powerful voice she had first confronted the young swordsman with. "I am the Sword of the Blademaster, the Sword of the King, the Sword of the Fateweaver. I am the Sword of Elements, the Sword of Eternal Radiance, the Sword of All Colors. I am the masterpiece of the Spirit Smith, hammered in Din's flames, cooled in Nayru's waters, breathed life into by Farore's winds. I am the Unbreakable Blade. I am Aurora, Sword of Souls!" Rainbow lightning crackled all around her and her eyes shot sparks. "Fight me, and prove you are worthy to wield me!"

"Wait, what?" Link cried, throwing himself to the left and hastily whipping out his swords, barely avoiding the lightning-wreathed leaping lunge from his sudden opponent. He rolled back up into a standing position, facing toward his previous position, and crossed his swords in front, barely bringing them up in time to catching the downward swing from the Sword of Souls. The force of the blow nearly knocked him to his knees, but he had no time to waste on recovery, for as soon as her strike had been blocked, Aurora whipped the sword up and spun around with lightning speed, the blade whistling toward Link's left side. He brought his left sword down and to the side to counter, simultaneously using the downward force from the last blow to lunge forward and to the left toward Aurora with his right. Unfortunately, the momentum from Aurora's blade was not fully absorbed by his block, and he was sent tumbling to the right. Even as he rolled to regain his footing, the color-shifting girl brought her silvery sword down from above in a vertical slash, catching him along the side and bringing a thick line of red to soak his green clothing.

_She's fast!_ Link thought ecstatically as he attempted to swing his swords behind him to counter her horizontal strike and buy enough time to turn toward her once again. With that successful, he leapt sideways up onto one of the stone platforms to gain a height advantage, and her next strike gouged deep into his new footstool. Before he had time to take advantage of her miss, she was already swinging her blade in an upward diagonal from her right. With his right sword Link thrust downward toward Aurora's chest while swinging hard to the lower left with his left blade to block. She stepped back with her left foot, turning her body sideways, neatly avoiding his thrust, and allowed his block's force to power a reversal in her swing, her blade going down and around. Spinning with her left foot as the pivot, she allowed the swing to continue, adding her left hand to the hilt as the blade sang up in a diagonal from the lower left and toward Link's waist.

Without enough time to block, Link simply dove forward off the platform, the Sword of Souls merely clipping his tunic as he landed beside Aurora and rolled to his feet, spinning around to swing at her with his right-hand sword. Lightning flew from the edge of her blade as she brought it down from on high with blinding speed, slicing Link's sword cleanly in two before it could reach her. His spin continued, however, and his left sword hurtled toward her unprotected right side. She whipped her blade up in a blur and caught his sword, knocking it out of his hands and sending it flying across the room. He leapt backward and barely avoided her subsequent thrust by ending in a backwards somersault. He turned and dashed across the room, ducking around and behind stone ledges as he went, barely avoiding thrusts and swings which chipped off rather decently sized chunks of rock from his temporary barriers.

_That's strange,_ Link realized while moving toward his fallen, but intact, sword. _If she had the speed to do what she did earlier, she shouldn't be missing right now. She's got to be deliberately slowing down to a speed I can manage while I retrieve my sword._ He grinned wryly as he avoided another swing. _But she's still moving faster than me. I'm only managing because of luck and instinct._

He finally reached his sword and snatched it from the ledge it had landed on, whirling to face Aurora. The point of her sword touched his forehead, a thin stream of blood running from the contact spot. She was grinning, her eyes alight with the same love of battle that Link had felt. Her hair was still moving, the colors shifting in waves. He stood completely still, his eyes betraying nothing of the uncertainty he had about this situation.

"Speak your name!" she cried in the voice of command.

"Link, of Ordon," he replied boldly.

"Link, do you hereby swear to bear the Sword of Souls as a tool of your task, using its blade to bring doom to your foes and aid to your allies?"

"I swear," he answered, unsure of what exactly was going on.

"Then you are bound to the Sword of Souls, and the Sword of Souls is bound to you. You are deemed worthy to be the wielder of the Sword of the Blademaster. No longer am I Lennard's weapon, but yours. No other hand may use me in battle but your hand." The lightning faded away and the power in her voice and bearing vanished. She withdrew the sword and stepped up to Link, offering the weapon to him by the hilt.

"You did well, Link," she said. "I was impressed. For one as young as you to keep up as well as you did is incredible. Your style is unusual, but the talent is obvious. And most importantly, you didn't give up, even after I disarmed you. You have skill, courage, and determination. You have strength, speed, and stamina. You have the makings of a true master. Someday, you will be a peerless swordsman, I think, and I'd like to be by your side when that happens."

Link took the sword with his right hand and sat down heavily. He sheathed his left-hand sword and immediately placed his freed hand against the cut down his side, which was oozing out blood at an alarming rate. He grimaced.

_I have no idea what just happened,_ he thought. _As best I can figure, I just lost a swordfight with a talking sword and was pledged loyalty by said sword. And now that that's settled, I'm going to bleed to death. Great._ He withdrew his hand and stared at the thick coat of blood covering it. _Yeah, I'm not making it out of this without a potion._

"If you're wondering," Aurora commented as she sat on his right, "that gilded chest over there has some healing potions in it, among other things." Seeing his reluctant expression, she added, "I don't mind if you rob his Royal Deadness blind, you know. It's not like I belong to him anymore. You shouldn't feel guilty about it. He was kind of a jerk." She coughed. "I mean that as an understatement."

"But you should respect the dead," Link protested, turning to her. "If I stole from here, I'd be nothing more than a grave-robber." She stuck her tongue out.

"Robber or Hero, it's all the same," she said, shrugging. "If you don't at least take a potion you won't have the strength to fight Skull Rider. I don't really care about respecting the dead king; I'm just a sword, after all, and I want to be wielded by you as best as you are able. I mean" – she made a face – "if you're dead, then you can't use me, you know? I'll be alone again, but awake this time. Not a pleasant thought."

The young swordfighter sighed and heaved himself to his feet. "I guess you're right. The potion isn't doing anyone any good just sitting here anyway."

"That's the spirit!" the transparent girl encouraged, following him as he approached the handsome chest and opened it. Inside were three potion bottles, each with a potion of a different color inside it: red, blue, and green. Link raised an eyebrow quizzically. He had only ever seen red potions before.

"What are the blue and green ones?" he wondered aloud.

"Green replenishes magical energy, and blue replenishes both health and magic," Aurora informed him. He blinked at her. He had almost forgotten that someone was there to answer his questions.

"…Oh. Well, I guess I only need the red one, then."

"Quit being such a goody-two-shoes, Link," prodded Aurora. "Just take them all. Heck, take everything in the room. Even if you don't want to use it for yourself, think of all the ways you could help people with that kind of wealth. As you said about the potion, none of it is doing any good down here. I don't know how long I've been asleep, but you don't even speak the same language the people buried here did. You probably don't even live in the same kingdom anymore."

"What are you" – _glug glug_ – "trying to say?" Link asked suspiciously while downing half of the red potion, which rapidly healed him and gave him a burst of energy.

"I'm telling you to loot the place, nitwit!" Aurora cried, moving as if to whack him in the head. Her transparent hand traveled harmlessly through his body. She looked at it for a moment and then said, "Oh, right. Ethereal."

Dropping the bottle into his pouch with his bloody hand, he sputtered, "Loot? What do you take me for, a highwayman?" _I'm going to need to clean this pouch later,_ he thought off-handedly. "Besides," he reasoned, "I couldn't possibly carry everything out anyway. How would I carry it?"

"With that," Aurora answered, pointing at a brown pouch no bigger than the one he was carrying his potions and nuts in. He raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm serious!" she insisted. "It's a magic bag. The King had it made for him so he could take his stuff with him wherever he went. They called it the Bottomless Bag. No matter how much junk you shove in there, it never changes weight, and it can fit anything of just about any size, within limits, of course, no trying to carry a castle around, inside of it."

"Look, just tell me how to get to the enemy, okay?" Link sighed. Aurora scowled.

"You know, I thought you'd be fun, but you seem too caught up in this 'respect the dead' thing. At least take the bag. How are you going to carry all the equipment and supplies you'll need and still be able to fight at a moment's notice otherwise?"

"All right, all right." He set down the Sword of Souls and picked up the bag, fastening it to his waist belt. He turned to the transparent spirit. "Happy now?"

She placed her head on her hand as pretended to think. "No, but it will have to do," she replied after a while. He rolled his eyes and she snickered.

"I think I'm going to like having you as a partner," she laughed, pressing her sword back into his hand. "As idealistic as you are, I think we're going to have some fun together. Oh!" she cried, as if remembering something, "I almost forgot! Since I smashed up your other sword, you don't need that scabbard anymore." She gestured to the back of the stone that had supported her material form while she had been sleeping, and Link noticed a long sheath, fit for Aurora's blade, of continually shifting colors, embroidered with gold and silver. "You'll want that instead. Otherwise you'll have to carry me all the time."

Link's face melted into a suspicious expression as he eyed the talkative sword-girl.

"What?" she demanded.

"You smashed my sword to make sure I had to use you, didn't you?" he accused.

She adopted an innocent expression. "I would never do something like that," she denied, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. Link sighed as he undid his sheath and fastened Aurora's scabbard in its place, sheathing the blade immediately.

"Now then," she grinned, "about Skull Rider. The back wall of this room hides a secret tunnel that leads to its location. Just tell the wall 'Deru deru' and the pathway will open."

*  
Location: Underground Passageway (Under Lon Lon)  
Time: Around 5 AM on the thirty-eighth day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

"Are you _absolutely sure_ that this is the right passage this time, Aurora?" Link pressed as the companions faced the left fork in a three-way split in the tunnel. "I don't want to get eaten by a Like-Like again. I had to waste what was left of the potion already."

"I'm sure," Aurora answered confidently. "This time, I'm positive."

Link took a step forward and had to throw himself backwards to avoid falling into the pit trap that opened up beneath him. He twisted his head to glare at the girl standing behind him. She grinned sheepishly.

"Or, well, maybe it isn't."

"You know what, Aurora? I was doing a better job of navigating this place _before_ you started giving me directions."

"It's not my fault!" she protested. "I wasn't part of the team that designed the place! I'm just working off of memory here!"

Link rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help grinning. "For all your talk of being a big legendary sword, you're really just a girl with memory issues," he joked.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Nyah. Fine then, you pick the path."

"I will, and I bet we'll get there faster," Link said as he got to his feet. He turned to the right passageway. "I think it's this way," he declared, stepping out into it. He proceeded down the hallway, Aurora following after with a fake scowl on her face. It ended in a large stone door with more writing on it.

"What's it say?" he asked.

"Here dwells the sleeping guardian; woe to you who awake it," she answered grumpily.

"See? I was right. Now, how do I open the door? Shove on it?" he asked as he did just that. The door slid forward and out, opening into a large circular chamber some hundred feet across and similarly high with a granite obelisk in the center that stretched all the way up to the ceiling. As soon as he stepped into the room, the door slammed behind him and the room lit up.

"Oh, my…"

A monstrous Skulltula at least six times the size of a horse scratched down the wall to the right and stood on the floor. Large bones and pieces of armor scattered around the room swirled together and combined to form an armored skeleton knight twice the size of a man wielding a lance with one hand and a circular shield with the other, which landed seated on the giant spider. It raised its lance and chattered its teeth, and more scattered bones around the room put themselves together into a pair of sword and shield carrying Stalfos while three big Skulltulas crawled down the obelisk to join the other monsters on the floor.

"That's…Skull Rider," noted Aurora unnecessarily.

Link's hands rocketed to his swords and he drew them swiftly, the blades singing as they came out of their sheaths. He stepped back with his right foot and settled into his standard combat stance. Aurora's transparent form vanished, and the stone in the hilt of the Sword of Souls lit up from within. The fighter felt a sweep of energy flow from the sword down his arm, coursing through his body before doubling back and returning to the blade. The blade, which had merely been another sword in his hand when he held it before, suddenly felt like an extension of himself, the balance more perfect than any other sword he had wielded with his right hand. Despite the fact that he had never used a sword of this length before, it felt as comfortable as if he had been using it his whole life. He blinked in surprise.

_That's the bond between us,_ Aurora's voice sounded in his head. _You're my wielder, now, and that gives both of us strength. It only works for as long as my spirit is within the sword, though, which is why I'm not standing next to you._

"R-really?"

_Yes. Also, as long as I'm in the Sword of Souls and you're in contact with it, you don't have to speak out loud for me to hear you. Just think at me and it'll work just fine._

"Gotcha."

The Skulltulas and Stalfos began to circle around him while Skull Rider rode toward him slowly. Pinpricks of red gleamed from the eye sockets of the skeleton knight as it approached and began to speak, much to Link's surprise.

"Foolish mortal!" it rasped. "You dare challenge me, Skull Rider? I have slumbered for thousands of years, and I thirst for living blood. Your body shall be the first to become my meal."

"Some guardian," Link muttered.

"Guardian?" it asked mockingly. "In my long sleep, the magics binding me to guard this tomb have weakened, and with the strength your blood will provide, I shall break the chains at last. I shall make an army for myself, and I shall destroy all who dwell in the lands above!"

_Hm. Well, that's not good,_ Aurora noted.

_Thank you. You are truly insightful, Aurora,_ Link replied with playful sarcasm. Aloud, he addressed Skull Rider in a bold, commanding voice.

"In the name of Din, Farore, and Nayru, I will destroy you! I am Link, chosen by the goddesses to champion the cause of good, and I wield the Sword of Souls! Tonight is your last, Skull Rider!"

"Die!" it cried in response, and the battle began.

Every single enemy charged Link at once, closing in from all directions. Spinning, he jumped into the air, landing atop one of the spiders while blocking swings from each of the Stalfos. Ducking, he rolled off the Skulltula and stabbed up and backwards with the Sword of Souls, skewering the arachnid from underneath and behind. Completing his roll, he stood and dashed to his right and fast as he could, outdistancing the smaller enemies and barely avoiding the lance of Skull Rider as it rode into his previous position. The scratching noise told him that the creature's mount was turning, so he too made a sharp right and ran toward the other side of the room, placing the obelisk between him and his enemies.

_What are you doing, Link?_ _Are you running away?_ Aurora accused.

_Of course not. I'm _maneuvering.

The blood began to pound in Link's veins as battle-joy crept upon him. The Skulltulas rounded the obelisk, and the dual-swordsman charged then, his mouth twisting into a grin. His eyes shone as he stopped mid-charge to crouch and thrust upward at the faces of the arachnids from below. They blocked with their legs, but Link wasn't done. Shoving off mightily with his own legs, he lurched into a standing position and flipped the Skulltula backwards onto their backs. From there, twin downward stabs finished off the oversized bugs.

A Stalfos rounded the obelisk and slashed in a downward diagonal at Link's left side at the same time as the other skeleton mimicked the action at his left. Leaping backwards, he dodged both blows; immediately countering with a thrust at the skull of the one on his left with his mentor's blade. The undead fighter simply raised its shield and blocked, swiping backhanded at Link with its sword in its right hand. He brought the hand-and-a-half sword to his side, point downward, to block the strike.

_Link! Behind you!_

The other Stalfos had taken advantage of Link's focus and had thrust directly at his unprotected back. It laughed, its voice eerie. The blond-haired boy's eyes widened, but he did not have time to fully evade the attack. Twisting in toward the Stalfos whose blade he had blocked, he turned sideways toward his right, and the second skeleton's sword sliced across the middle of his back, ripping through his tunic and causing him to cry out involuntarily from the pain as his blood spattered to the floor. Gritting his teeth, he did something completely unexpected that left Aurora in shock: he body-slammed the first skeleton horror.

The creature stumbled backwards, and Link, though also moving, took advantage of that by bringing his right-hand blade up in a vertical slice right through the middle of his enemy, yelling a wordless cry. The creature's bones snapped as Aurora's edge crackled with multicolored lightning, and the hand-and-a-half sword cleaved the foe in two. The instant the weapon cleared the undead's head, the Stalfos and its equipment crumbled to dust. Even before the dust transformation was complete, Link spun his left blade around in an arc behind him, deflecting the attack from the second skeleton that he had anticipated. He spun to face it.

A loud, rasping laugh brought his attention to the space behind the Stalfos, where Skull Rider sat atop its massive Skulltula and surveyed the battle.

"You are strong! Yes, your blood will revitalize me indeed. Your blood will make me even stronger than ever!"

Without warning, the giant undead knight stabbed the Stalfos with its lance and lifted it high, shaking it. The Stalfos' sword dropped, and Skull Rider's helm parted to allow it to fall into its mouth. Chomping, it devoured the sword as the Stalfos crumbled. The helm slid back together once more as Link stared. Skull Rider's crimson eye-lights grew brighter, and the lance in its right hand began to emanate a dark aura.

"Yes… yes… The taste of your blood… I can feel the strength of your life-force! More! I must have all the blood in your body! Now die!" It charged.

Link hurled himself out of the way, gasping as he hit the ground, rolling to his left to avoid the attacking enemy. Leaping to his feet, he cried, "Aurora! He's even stronger now! Any ideas?"

_Shut up! I know! I'm trying to think! For now, just keep avoiding his attacks. You're good at that. I need a little time to think of a counter!_

Link ran around the obelisk, using it as a shield. His foe skittered up to it and stopped on the other side. The Skulltula's front legs snaked around the obelisk, and Link parried the attacks before retreating backwards away from the obelisk. The spider easily stepped around the barrier and continued toward Link. Skull Rider raised its lance. The aura intensified near the tip and started to form a black sphere.

_Crap!_ Link thought frantically. He raised the Sword of Souls up in a protective diagonal in front of him to block.

_Well, we don't have much of a choice. I was hoping to think of something surer, but –_

_ WHAT? _Link demanded.

_Be reckless. Be confident. Slash with the sword and tap into my powers. Focus on "countering that attack."_

_How?_

_ Just do it!_ She cried. _I can't explain it! Normally it takes months if not years of training to reach the level where you can use my powers on command! But we're out of options! You've just got to try!_

"DIE!"

The Skulltula stopped moving and Skull Rider thrust with his lance. The giant ball of black shot forth, transformed as black lightning. Link steeled himself and closed his eyes. Time seemed to slow. He heard his heart beat. He felt his blood flow. The Triforce burned. His grip tightened on the Sword of Souls. His resolve hardened. He would do this. He could not afford to lose. It was impossible to lose.

Suddenly, everything vanished.

*  
Location: Unknown  
Time: A single instant during the battle against Skull Rider

Link opened his eyes. He was standing on an insubstantial floor in the middle of a vast sea of colors. Blues and greens dominated, but yellows, purples, reds, oranges, browns, whites, and grays were plentiful as well. The colors swirled and waved, constantly shifting. There was no form or substance anywhere, only ephemeral color.

"Where am I?" he whispered in an awed voice.

He turned and looked all around him. Everywhere was the same; nothing was constant. He took a hesitant step forward. A ripple spread out from where he placed his foot, and the colors shimmered brightly for a brief moment before parting in front of him to reveal what appeared to be an altar of some kind. It way stepped, layered, with the first layer a foot tall, the second a foot taller, and the third yet another foot higher. He walked toward it curiously.

As he approached, the details of the altar became clearer. On the lowest level were six large indentations of various shapes – some angular, some rounded – as though objects were meant to be placed there. The second layer was engraved with what appeared to be names. Link could read none of them until he reached the end of the list. The final two names were Aurora's and his own. And finally, the third layer housed a perfect copy of the stone embedded in the hilt of the Sword of Souls, only this stone was at least a foot across.

Shaking his head, he said, "I have no idea what's going on. But…" he reached out toward the stone. "I guess this is as good a plan as any." He touched it.

Energy blasted forth from the stone and forced its way through his body, leaving him crackling with rainbow lightning and full of strength. His eyes shut reflexively.

*  
Location: Skull Rider's Chamber (Under Lon Lon)  
Time: Around 5 AM on the thirty-eighth day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

His eyes snapped open. Just as the dark bolt neared him, he swung Aurora with all his strength. The blade crackled with lightning as it swung. It impacted with the dark energy, obliterating it, and a massive cord of multicolored lightning bolts shot forth from the tip of the sword, streaking toward Skull Rider. The energy surge left Link as the bolts and residual lightning left the blade, leaving him momentarily tired.

Skull Rider reared back in surprise and brought its shield up with inhuman speed. The lightning struck the shield and caused deep cracks to spread through it. The undead knight hissed in anger, and the Skulltula mount charged.

_You…you did it…_ Aurora managed. _You actually did it!_

Eyes alight, Link didn't even hear her as he readied himself for his most insane tactic yet. As soon as the spider was close enough, he jumped.

Knocking aside the lance with his left sword, he landed atop the spider's pincer mandibles. Using them as a springboard, he leapt up onto the oversized Skulltula's head. Grinning as though he were having the time of his life, he lunged at Skull Rider, swinging his left sword sideways to keep the lance at bay as he thrust the Sword of Souls at the gap in his enemy's armor between breastplate and helm. The inevitable shield block stopped the attack, but the force of the piercing blow shattered the cracked item into tens of pieces, leaving the undead marauder with no way to defend himself at close quarters. Link slashed downward at his opponent's right arm, simultaneously doing the same to its left. The arms cracked but did not break.

Link's face was mere inches from Skull Riders, and his piercing blue eyes stared straight into its red ones. Neither combatant had a trace of fear. The helm cracked and flew off, dissolving into nothingness.

"Your blood!" the skeletal rider cried, lurching forward and biting into Link's shoulder where it joined with his neck.

Link cried out, accompanied by Aurora's mental cry. He stumbled backward, and the unstable surface that was the Skulltula's head did not support him. He tumbled to the ground, landing hard beside the massive arachnid.

Link's blood trickled down Skull Rider's face. Its eyes glowed even brighter, and this time the dark aura spread to cover its whole body. It laughed.

"This is power! This is strength! I will break free of the spell and devour the world above!"

_No, you won't,_ Link thought determinedly through the pain. _I won't let you. I will protect everyone! Alice, Faro, Falo, Hawke, Katie, Mick, Talon, Elise, the Knights, the militia, the villagers… I won't let you down!_

He rolled underneath the spider mount, avoiding its attempt to bite him, and shot to his feet, sword points up, and pierced the spider through the head. His eyes burned bright as he withdrew the swords and repeated the action. His head pounded, and the back of his left hand felt hot. The creature shrieked an earsplitting high-pitched scream, and the courageous boy repeated the action twice more before yelling as he completed the action for a fifth time. His right-hand blade covered itself with lightning as it slid into the arachnid's skull and blasted the beast's nervous system to smolders. Link dashed out from under it as it crashed to the ground, writhed, and fell still.

_Hold on, Link, it isn't over yet,_ cautioned Aurora. _You have to be careful – you've lost a lot of blood, and Skull Rider looks like it's gotten even stronger._

Link stumbled sideways as he turned around to face the threat. _Aurora's right; I'm starting to get dizzy and light-headed. We have to finish this soon._

Skull Rider stepped off of the fallen spider and approached the unsteady seventeen-year-old slowly on foot.

"So much power resides in your blood," it said softly in its rasping voice. "You are the only mortal to slay my Skull Mount. I have had merely a taste of your blood, but already I am almost strong enough to destroy what binds me to this place. I thirst for your blood, the sweetest blood I have ever consumed. If I drink all of it, I will be unstoppable!"

It held its lance in two hands and pointed the weapon at Link, the tip less than five feet away. Link smiled slowly, dropping his left-hand sword and gripping Aurora with both hands. He closed his eyes, reaching for the power that lay within the Sword of Souls…only to find nothing. The black sphere formed at the tip of the lance.

_Link!_ Aurora cried desperately.

"I can't lose," he said calmly as he slowly opened his eyes.

He charged.

The dark bolt narrowly missed him as he dashed past the lance, holding his sword with the point directly forward. Skull Rider stood its ground, confident of its ability to withstand any attack. The Sword of Souls burst in crackling multicolored lightning. A sheen of gold swept from his left fingertips and covered the blade.

The Sword of Souls cut through the darkness and buried itself in Skull Rider's skull. For several seconds, nothing moved.

Then the skull shattered, and the rest of the horrific monster turned to ashes.

"See?" Link smiled weakly. "The Sage was right. I really am a hero."

He collapsed and blacked out.

**END CHAPTER SIX**

**COMING IN CHAPTER SEVEN: IMPLICATIONS**

Having defeated the powerful Skull Rider, Link wakes up to find himself in an infirmary in Lon Lon Village. Several weeks have already passed, and Link wants to continue his journey. But before he can set out, he has some serious thinking to do. There are too many unanswered questions.


	7. Implications

**Notes:** Well, that's a big old fight scene. Link has now beaten the first boss! Anyhow, this chapter is very talky. There's no action at all. Whether that's a bad thing or not is I guess up to you to decide, but after last chapter Link needs a breather and some time to figure out what the heck is going on with all these things he doesn't understand. As always, thanks for reading! Enjoy the chapter (which includes Aurora's backstory!).

**Previous Chapter Summary:** Link, having fought and become pledged as the wielder of the Sword of Souls, refuses to loot the tomb, despite Aurora's insistence. However, she manages to get him to take one treasure – a bag that can hold anything. He learns the cause of the curse is an undead spider rider called Skull Rider, the evil guardian of the tomb. Though afraid, he goes to fight the enemy without a second thought. The battle is long and difficult, and he is wounded severely. He taps into Aurora's power once during the battle, but he fails to do so a second time. He finishes Skull Rider with the aid of golden power before falling unconscious.

**CHAPTER SEVEN: Implications**

Location: Lon Lon Village  
Time: Late Morning of the fifty-fifth day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

Link opened his eyes, and the sunlit wooden ceiling of a building that was definitely not his home greeted him. He blinked a few times, trying to remember where he was. What was the last thing he remembered? He narrowed his eyes, focusing. There was a dream…it had been important…but before that…

Aurora's transparent face popped into his view as she leaned over and placed her face a few inches above his. She looked incredibly relieved.

_Oh, yeah…Skull Rider…_

He blinked again.

_Was she that pretty before? The lines of her face…the way her eyes and hair change color like that…_

"You have no idea how glad I am that you're finally awake," she said, her tone giving Link a pretty good idea of how glad she was. "For a while there I thought you might never wake up. You gave me quite a scare." She withdrew her head as Link sat up slowly. He didn't feel any pain at all, he realized with some surprise.

"Just how long have I been out?" he questioned.

"A little over two weeks. When you destroyed Skull Rider, the obelisk turned into this weird shaft of blue light that sucked you into it and pulled you up above ground. The village militia found you a couple hours later. I wasn't sure you were going to make it; you were bleeding the whole time. They brought you back to the village and bandaged you up. Someone managed to find a healing potion, which healed your injuries, but for some reason you didn't come around. They've been putting you up the whole time."

"Two weeks?" Link exclaimed loudly, shooting to his feet and crashing his head into the ceiling. Climbing off of the bed he had been lying on, he repeated in a more normal volume, "Two weeks? With all my injuries healed, I was out for two weeks?" His face was a picture of disbelief. He rubbed his head where he had hit it.

Aurora nodded, sitting down on his bed. "Yeah. Nobody knows why, so don't bother asking anyone." She sighed. "I'm just glad you seem to be all right. How do you feel?"

The young hero stretched and bent at all of his joints. Sitting down beside the Sword of Souls' spirit, he replied, "Physically? I feel perfect. I don't even feel the rust you get for not moving around much for too long. Mentally?" He frowned. "I'm not so sure. I didn't even remember where I was until you showed your face. My memory's working fine now, but –"

He cut himself off suddenly, hearing voices and footsteps from outside of the medium-sized room. Glancing around, he realized for the first time since he had awakened that he wasn't the only one in the room (Aurora didn't count). There were three other beds in a row with his. Each one contained someone sleeping. One of them was slightly bandaged, but the other two merely looked ill. Link's bed was closest to the outside wall, where the window was, which was why the sunlight had seemed so prominent; that was the direction he had faced when he had gotten out of bed. The door on the far side of the room opened and two people walked in.

One of them was a middle-aged woman who Link guessed was the doctor. The other was Mick.

"Thank the goddesses!" the militia captain exclaimed upon seeing Link. "We thought you'd be in bed forever!" Link smiled.

"I just woke up. Has it really been two weeks?"

Mick scratched his chin, looking a little puzzled. "Two an' a half, about. It's Dinsday. But how'd you know?"

"Oh, riiight…" Aurora said slowly, slapping herself in the forehead. "I forgot to tell you, Link. Most people can't see or hear me when I'm like this. Only those with exceptionally strong spirits – strong souls, if you will – can see and hear me when I'm projecting myself. Those two don't know I'm here."

Link stared at her. "That's something you should have said when we first met!"

"What?" asked Mick, bewildered.

"I'm talking to … hey, where is your sword, anyway?" Aurora pointed to the floor beside the head of the bed, where all of Link's belongings, including those he had left behind when he had gone to the ranch, were lying. "To the spirit that inhabits that sword," Link finished, pointing at the Sword of Souls.

Mick and the doctor exchanged an uncertain glance.

"You…sure your heads all there, kid?" ventured Mick cautiously. "You have been out for a while."

"There was a plague of Skulltula and undead, and you think a sword with a spirit is hard to believe?" Link asked lightly. The woman smiled.

"He does have a point, captain," she noted.

"I guess," Mick said skeptically.

"Don't worry about it, sir," Link smiled. "So," he said, "what's the state of affairs?"

"C'mon, I'll take you to the mayor's place; you can get the whole story."

The woman held up a hand. "First I must make sure he is well." She walked over to him. "Stand and touch your toes for me."

*  
Location: Lon Lon Village Mayor's Residence  
Time: Mid-day of the fifty-fifth day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

"So, to recap," Aurora said, "the militia were fighting for their lives the whole time you were down there doing your explorer thing. When you killed Skull Rider, the Skulltula vanished into thin air and the skeletons crumbled to dust. The animals and that fat guy, the mayor, came to their senses at about the same time as they found you, a couple hours later. Since then, the Guay have stopped being jerks as well. The Bokoblins outside are still trying to break down the walls to no effect, but the internal troubles vanished along with the spider knight. Everybody has been recuperating since then, and since they figured you were the one who saved them, they used a potion on you in gratitude, which saved your life but didn't wake you up. Nothing of any importance has happened in the village walls since then. The villagers are willing to give you supplies for your journey and put you up for as long as you stay here, but no go on any other kind of reward, so you should have followed my advice and looted King Idiot's grave."

"I wouldn't put it quite like that, but yes, that seems to be the general gist of it," Link responded quietly as he pretended to listen to Talon thanking him for saving the village for the millionth time. Once the militia, Talon, and the leaders of the ranch had given him their story, he had given an extremely truncated version of his ("The warehouse tower was where the spiders were coming from. It blew up and I went down a hole and fought my way through a dangerous ancient tomb filled with traps and monsters. At the end I found this sword, which the spirit who lives in it tell me is called the Sword of Souls, and then I fought a giant Skulltula bigger than four horses put together and a massive skeleton knight called Skull Rider and barely won. Then I passed out.") and listened to the important individuals thank him. Then he had tried to say that he needed some time along to think, but Talon would have none of it, insisting he stay for lunch. Not wanting to be rude, he accepted, which was how he had wound up in the current situation.

"That man doesn't know when to shut up, does he?"

"Be polite, Aurora," Link reprimanded under his breath.

"You're thinking the same thing. I'm just being honest with myself," retorted the transparent sword-girl, making faces at the oblivious overweight mayor.

Talon paused for breath. The exasperated boy jumped on the opportunity.

"Thank you, sir, for having lunch with me. It was a delicious meal. And truly, I'm glad to have helped this town. I am pleased that you thank me, but it is unnecessary. I was simply doing what I wanted to do. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to be alone for a while. I wouldn't want to impose any longer than I have already."

"Weel, thanks agin, mah boy heero. Yer welcum ta cum back at enny tahm."

Link bowed hastily and made his exit, heading for an empty spot in the ranch near the horse corral; Talon's home was on the ranch itself. It took no more than twenty minutes to reach his destination.

"So," Aurora asked, settling down in the grass beside him and lying down as he sat, "whatcha thinking about?"

There was a long pause. "A lot of things," Link said finally. "After having been asleep for so long, I want to get moving again, but I need to sort my thoughts out first. I just have too many questions right now."

"Like what?" she asked curiously.

"Hm…what to ponder first." He fell silent. "Okay. How come you can speak Hylian?"

"That one's easy," she yawned. "When you touched me back in the tomb and woke me up, I got a momentary glimpse into your mind. One of the things that transferred was the ability to speak and understand your language."

"What about Skull Rider? How come it could?"

Aurora pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I'm not entirely sure. It's possible that the magics animating it enabled it to speak and understand anything that came close to it, sort of like me, only without needing to touch. That's my best guess, anyway."

"If Skull Rider was the tomb's guardian, why did I encounter entombed people who had been turned into Redeads? Shouldn't whatever bound it to be guardian have prevented it from doing that?"

Aurora shrugged. "Well, it did say that the magic binding it had weakened. Maybe that was the result of that."

"Why did Skull Rider get stronger off my blood?"

"That's another easy one. You have a strong soul, and that affects your physical form. Doubtless the fact that you have a piece of the Triforce added to the effect as well. Skull Rider gets – got – stronger by feeding on the blood of strong men. It's how it got so powerful in the first place. I suspect it started out as little more than a Stalfos."

"The obelisk – the tip of it is what I struck with my arrow, I'm fairly certain. But why did it reveal the entrance? Why was the tip not disturbed earlier? What about the storm disturbed Skull Rider? Why did it turn into a shaft of light and lift me out?"

Aurora sat up. "Whoa, there, slow down," she said. "I know you have a lot of questions, but let's try this one at a time. Okay. The answer to all four of those questions is…I have no idea. I'm not sure we'll ever figure out the answers." She gave an apologetic look. "Sorry."

Link sighed heavily and lay down in the grass, placing his right arm over his face. Aurora followed suit, except she didn't cover her face. She turned on her right side to face him.

"More questions?" she prodded.

"All I've got are questions," he complained. "Like what on earth keeps happening with the Triforce mark on my hand? First, six years ago, I get run through by Dark Link, the evil shade of an ancient Hylian hero known as the Hero of Time. Instead of dying, I end up with a golden tattoo and get told I'm chosen by the goddesses. Then I start having these dreams. All six years, I get these dreams of impending danger out in the world. So I finally leave my hometown. Since then, every time I've gotten in a fight, the mark on my hand keeps burning. It burns when I draw an arrow. It burns when I resist the paralysis of a Redead. It burns when I get really into a fight, like against Skull Rider. And then it went even farther in the battle with Skull Rider. It shot some kind of gold paint all over your sword when I charged the guy. I _think_, but I don't know, that that was the reason the sword penetrated the dark aura around it. It's not like I'm controlling what it does. It just keeps doing stuff."

"Hmm…" she replied, studying him. "I don't know the answer to that. All I know about the Triforce is that it is a sacred power left behind in the world by Din, Farore, and Nayru and that it has incredible, unpredictable abilities. Supposedly it was sealed in the Sacred Realm, but obviously that isn't the case anymore. You'd be better off asking someone from your own time who is a keeper of legends." She played with her hair thoughtfully. "But it's done nothing but help you out, right? So I wouldn't worry about it."

"I guess."

There was a several minute silence where both of them were lost in thought. Then Link said, "I have some questions about you, Aurora."

"Fire away."

He rolled to face her. The two of them stared at each other.

"What are you, exactly? You said you were the sword, but right now all I see is a transparent girl. You're from ancient times and you made it sound like you had several wielders before me, but you look and act like you're not much older than me. You said that only those with strong souls can see and hear you when you're 'projecting,' but what exactly does that mean?"

The constantly color-shifting girl drew in a deep breath. Link looked at her expectantly.

"You ready?" He nodded. "All right then. I'll tell you what I know."

"Long, long, ago," she began, "before the nation of Hyrule came to be, there was a small, budding country in this land. That country was called Utopia.

"In that country, there were people of many races. Humans, Hylians, Gorons, Zora, and others that I can't find a name for in your language so I assume your people are unaware of their existence. The country was a harmonious place, where everyone worked together for the good of all. There was no prejudice, no enmity, no feuding. And so the country began to grow.

"But as it grew, problems arose. Distance lead to differences, and people did not always see eye to eye. Still, the country kept peaceful, on the surface. Underneath the skin, though, the seeds of war had been sown.

"Now during that time, it happened that the goddesses would occasionally choose someone to become a leader of the people. This was always accompanied by a miracle so that the people would know who had been chosen. It was as this land grew closer and closer to the brink of civil war that the goddesses chose a humble blacksmith to lead the nation. As a sign, they bestowed upon him the ability to give life to his creations. His farming tools were helpful servants, his kitchen knives were great cooks, and so forth. The people called him the Spirit Smith and accepted him as their new leader.

"It was about this time that foreigners first came into contact with Utopia. They were explorers seeking to broaden the borders of their own country. They demanded to be brought before Utopia's leader. And so they were.

"But when they saw that Utopia's leader was nothing but a blacksmith, they scoffed and mocked him. Only a king can lead a country, they said. And a king must have power. Eager to defend their leader against slander, the people presented the foreigners with proof of the Spirit Smith's powers. But the aliens only laughed again at what seemed to them to be useless magic. Power, they said, is the ability to control. The ability to master. The ability to destroy, not the ability to make. And then they left, warning the Utopians that they would be back with an army, full of fighters with weapons, and that Utopia would surrender and submit to slavery or die.

"When the foreigners made good on their promise, the Utopians panicked. They began to fight among themselves as well as with the foreigners. They appealed to the Spirit Smith and to the goddesses to save them. They gave the Spirit Smith swords taken from the enemy so he could learn to make them. And so he prayed to the goddesses and the goddesses answered. He worked for twenty days and twenty nights with no rest, and when he was finished, he had made the finest sword to be seen. The goddesses told him to go to the sacred lake and collect the tear of the moon bird and place it in the sword. He did, and the tear transformed into a gemstone. Other gems were gathered as well from all over the land – one from the forest, one the great inferno, one from the depths of the waters, one from the sands, one from the darkest part of the night, and one from the sun itself. These too, were placed in the hilt of the sword. Only then did the sword awaken.

"That was the Sword of Souls."

Aurora paused. Link watched her wordlessly.

"This much I have been told. The rest…is from my own memory.

"The Sword was used by the Utopians to win the war. But in its aftermath, the people fought over the most powerful blade of them all. Many died. Eventually, one strong swordsman who was also a magician gained ownership of the blade, and he placed a spell on it, a spell nearly as binding as the magic that made the sword in the first place. The sword's abilities should be limited, he thought, and the sword should be held only by the leader of the people. So he made the sword's soul invisible to those who were not strong enough to be deemed worthy, and he barred the sword from being able to transform its physical form into that of its soul.

"You see, before that, the Sword was not only able to project its spirit outside of its physical 'body,' the sword, but also able to physically transform into the shape that its spirit took; this is called manifesting. But after this spell, it was no longer able to do so.

"To limit the powers of the sword, he used fell magics to attempt to remove and destroy the other six gemstones, but he could not affect the original tear. He declared himself king and began to bring order to the country under a new name, Totaria. And so he ruled for many years.

"After his death, another strong man took control of the Sword of Souls. He discovered that the fell wizard had left one parting gift – the Sword could now determine whether a fighter was worthy of wielding it by engaging him in combat. The sword approved of this strong man, and this man took over as king of the nation. He discovered how to use the sword's powers, and even succeeded in weakening the spell preventing manifestation.

"Over thousands of years, this process repeated. The Sword was not always wielded by a King, however, but sometimes by military leaders or mercenaries. All who wielded the Sword became famous as Kings, Heroes, or Villains. The country fell and arose again many times, its name changing with the rise and fall of its leaders. Over the centuries, the Sword was wielded by those who changed the course of history, those who came to be called Fateweavers. Those who were chosen to use the sword were given the name Blademaster for their mastery of the strongest sword.

"But the wizard's curse, which had initially failed to remove the gems, was not without effect. As the centuries wore on, the gems wore out and crumbled to dust. At last, only the original stone remained.

"Eventually, the Sword came into the possession of the King of the Arren Empire. A covetous and miserly man, this King did everything in his power to take the Sword with him to his grave. He even had his court wizard put a spell on the Sword to put it to slumber until it was touched by one it might deem worthy to wield it once more.

"And that's where you found me," she concluded. "I don't know how many centuries or millennia have passed since then, but it seems to have been a very long time."

Link was puzzled. "There's one thing about your story that I don't understand," he said. "If you don't just inhabit, but actually are, the Sword of Souls, why did you refer to the sword in third person and as 'it'?"

Aurora rolled onto her stomach and stared at the grass. "Because…how do I put this…" she said slowly, frustrated. "I…am the Sword of Souls, but the Sword of Souls is not me. Or rather, the Sword of Souls is more than me."

Link raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well…I am the spirit, the soul of the sword. I'm the soul, it's the body."

"Okay. I'm with you so far."

"But, well… it's not called the Sword of Soul, is it?"

Link frowned. "Does that mean it has more than one soul? Sword of _Souls_?"

"Not…exactly. Argh, this is frustrating!" She turned her head to face him. "Do you know what reincarnation means?"

"Doesn't it mean that when you die your soul comes back and inhabits something else?"

"Yes. Well, according to reincarnation, when your soul comes back, it is completely different. Different personality, everything. It might as well be a different soul anyway. Now, reincarnation isn't the way it works; mortal's souls are eternal and they don't get recycled like that. But the point is, you understand the concept, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, the Sword of Souls is like that, only backwards. It's one immortal body, but its soul isn't an eternal soul in the same way yours is. It's kinda like…like…let's say that there is a soul named, I don't know, Artez. He's the soul of the Sword of Souls. He lives his life for a number of years (how many doesn't matter) and then he dies. Only, when he dies, the body lives on, and his soul doesn't go to some other realm like yours. Instead, it goes into this sort of everlasting dormancy, a death sleep. And another soul is born, we'll call her Alice. Now Alice is the Sword of Souls. She can access the memories and experiences and skills and everything of Artez. She doesn't need to practice to gain all his skills, she has them already. She knows everything he knew. But, and this is important, she is a different person than him. He could have been an aggressive, violent, bloodthirsty freak and she could be a timid, pacifistic, bookish girl. And then when she dies, she joins him in dormancy, and another soul is born. And so the cycle continues. And I don't understand this myself, but when the souls are born, they are born aged. I'm…not sure how to put this. When you were born, you hadn't yet become a fun-loving, enthusiastic, courageous soul. You turned into that. You grew into your personality. But when a soul of the Sword of Souls is born, he or she already has a fully formed personality."

Link put a hand to his head.

"That's…very confusing, but I think I get what you're saying." He rubbed his temple. "So then, you said 'it' so you would shift genders and used third person because those Sword of Souls weren't you."

"Right."

"When were you…born, as you put it?"

Aurora squinted at him critically. "You really wanna know?"

"I – yes…" he said cautiously.

"When you woke me up."

Link blinked and stared. "Really?"

"Yep."

"I…wow. So, I'm guessing age is kind of meaningless as far as you go, then."

"Pretty much. I have the knowledge and experiences of the previous souls to draw upon, and I have my own fully formed personhood, but I'm not influenced by those experiences the same way I would be had I actually experienced them. It's really impossible to describe."

The two of them turned away from each other and lay there in silence. More than half an hour had passed when Link spoke again.

"Can you manifest?"

"No. If you forge a strong enough bond with me, you can use your force of will to weaken the magic and allow me to manifest, though."

"I see."

"Got any more questions about me?"

"One. When I access your powers…what exactly is happening? Well," he said, looking at her again, "I guess this is really more than one question. For starters, sometimes you start crackling with lightning suddenly –"

"That's because we're on the same wavelength…we're both of the same mind, and you are extremely determined," she interrupted, twisting to face him. "It's the most basic of my powers. Eventually, hopefully, you'll be able to have that one continually active."

He nodded. "Okay. But what about the other time, when you told me to be reckless and confident?"

"That's another of my powers, the Lightning Cord. Right now, without the other gemstones, all my powers revolve around lightning. I also have a power called Lightning Arc, which sends an arc of lightning forward along the line you swing the sword. I've got a number of others as well. I wasn't lying when I said it normally takes months or even years to learn to activate my powers at will. I was really surprised that you managed to pull it off, though I don't know if you could do it again."

Link shook his head. "I tried a second time, and it didn't work," he said. "So I guess I was just lucky." He gave a small grin. "I tend to get lucky a lot."

Aurora smiled broadly. "I noticed."

The boy frowned. "There was something strange that happened when I used…what did you call it?...Lightning Cord."

A flock of Guay flew harmlessly overhead in the skies above as the green-clad youth described the experience to Aurora, who had no explanation to offer him; none of the memories of the previous Swords had any insight to give. The two new friends rolled onto their backs and sat up simultaneously, flashing each other grins.

"Of course," Link said, the grin fading slightly to be replaced by a perplexed expression, "there's the matter of what is going on in the world, too. I mean, I know some big problem is on its way, and I guess the smaller troubles, like the increasing illnesses and monster attacks, are harbingers of that, but I have no idea what the problem is. It bothers me. I used to have these dreams before I left Ordon, but I haven't had any since then…until last night."

"Oh?" the transparent spirit asked interestedly. "What did you dream?"

Link's eyes got a faraway look as he wrapped his arms around his knees.

"I was standing on top of a tower…

*  
Location: Link's Dream  
Time: While Link was unconscious

_I'm cold._

_ The wind is blowing, but I know that's not the reason. Something horrible has fallen over the land. I know, because from my vantage point in this tower I can see for miles. It's daytime, but the world is dark. I look up, but there are no clouds blocking the sun. No, something evil has made the world this way._

_ I survey the lands below me. In the south-east, I can see the forest. It is dying. The trees are rotting where they stand, and there are no animals or birds. Turning to the east, I can see the mountains. A volcano is erupting, covering them all with deadly ash. In the northern part of the mountain range, a lone mountain remains untouched, but it sends out snow to cover and smother the life of the hills. In the north-west, I can see an ominous shadow spewing from the canyons. In the west, the far west, I can see a desert. Monstrous scorpions prowl it, slaying any person fool enough to get close. In the south-west, I can see the lake, but the lake is draining rapidly. Soon, there will not be enough water to support life._

_ I look straight down. A bustling city spreads out before me. But over there in the alley, I see someone that brings dread to my heart._

_ Dark Link._

_ As if on cue, he leaps out and begins slaughtering the people of the city. His ebony blade is stained with red. I see that he is now carrying a shield, also black. I want to run, but I know I must fight. I reach for my right-hand sword._

_ I draw it from its sheath and stare at it. It is beautiful, more beautiful than I could have imagined. The long silvery blade, the blue-violet hilt, the seven stones embedded in the hilt. There is one clear stone in the center, but the others are all on the underside of the cross hilt. One of them is green, one red, one blue, one orange, one yellow, and one a deep purple._

_ Distracted by a shout, I look up to discover that Dark Link has scaled the tower and is now approaching me swiftly. I reach for my left-hand sword and draw the colorful counterpart to my enemy's weapon._

_ Suddenly the Triforce appears between us. Dark Link grins, and a shadowy replica comes into existence beside it. I hear a distant battle cry, and the sound of marching. But I know all this is only the prelude to disaster._

*  
Location: Lon Lon Ranch  
Time: Afternoon of the fifty-fifth day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

Aurora merely looked at Link as he finished his story. He sighed.

"I have no clue what it means. I know that I saw you, complete, now. But the rest…I have no idea."

"Hm…well, do you know if your location in the dream was a real place?"

"I – actually," Link said with surprise, "I do. It's close to the center of Hyrule, and just north of here. The capital – Hyrule Castle City."

"Then let's make that our next destination, Link. But for right now, let's head back to where you'll be staying and get some food in you, okay? Can't have you collapsing on me." She grinned cheekily.

Standing, he grinned back. "Yeah, yeah. We'll set out first thing tomorrow."

**END CHAPTER SEVEN**

**COMING IN CHAPTER EIGHT: CASTLE CITY**

Link and Aurora now travel to Hyrule Castle City to find out what they can about Link's dream. But Link's dream becomes the fades into the background as they find out just how different the city is from the towns and villages the boy has seen. There are sights to see, activities to do, and wrongs to right. And as Link discovers, not everyone is equal in the city.


	8. Castle City

**Notes:** Hello again! I don't have much to say, other than since I don't have a job yet, I'm taking 2-5 days per chapter on average. I appreciate the reviews! Keep reading and enjoying!

**Previous Chapter Summary:** Link wakes up and finds that over two weeks have passed since his fight with Skull Rider. He catches up on the current situation in Lon Lon and then settles down to think over his many questions. He learns much about Aurora's past and powers, including that she is only the current soul of the Sword of Souls, able to draw on the experiences of the previous souls. She tells him that only people with strong souls can see and hear her when she projects. After he discusses a prophetic dream, he decides to head to the location of that dream – Hyrule Castle City.

**CHAPTER EIGHT: Castle City**

Location: Hyrule Castle City  
Time: Night of the fifty-ninth day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

The dark figure crept through the shadows along the edge of the buildings as he navigated his way through the streets. He uttered no noise, moving as silently and swiftly as a cat. Suddenly he stopped, his ears pricked for the sound of pursuers. Nothing. After a few moments, he began moving once again, more slowly this time. He rounded a corner and immediately flattened himself against a wall, watching the scene further down the street taking place in the light of the street-torch.

Three poorly-clad men had surrounded a young man – no, a boy – wearing a green tunic and hat. The men, he could tell, had weapons badly concealed on their bodies: each man had a combat knife and a worn sword beneath his tattered cloak. Their thuggish appearance gave away their identities as robbers. The boy, on the other hand, openly carried two swords: one at his right side and one on his back, the hilt up over his right shoulder. The distance made it difficult to tell, but in the flickering light of the torch, the hiding figure could make out the silver and gold embroidery on the scabbard of the weapon on the youth's back. Judging by the hilt, the sword was of masterwork quality. The sword at his side appeared to be a simple long sword of the same kind the rank and file Hylian Knights used. The boy appeared to be carrying no other possessions save a simple medium-sized pouch at his left hip.

"Come on now, stranger," one of the men was saying, "that's a nice sword you got there on your back." The other two voiced their agreement, grinning greedily. "Where'd you steal it from, kid?"

"An ancient underground tomb," the boy replied almost idly, no trace of fear in his voice. "It wasn't doing anyone any good down there, I figured." From his angle behind the boy it was hard to tell, but the figure thought he saw an amused slight half-smile on the blond-haired youth's face.

"Oh, to be sure," the first man said sarcastically, causing the other two to laugh. That man would be the leader, the hidden individual decided. The man leaned up until his face was less than a foot from the boy's. "I think you stole it from a noble," he accused. "But if you give it to us, along with that pouch of yours, we'll forget we ever saw you."

Unflinching, the boy answered nonchalantly, "Oh, I don't know. You see, this sword is alive, and I don't think she wants to go with you, do you Aurora?" The boy turned to his head to his side, looking at no one. A second later he laughed.

The men dropped their hands for their swords, but didn't draw. The leader growled threateningly. "Are you making fun of me, brat?" The figure in the shadows tensed.

"Making fun of you?" the boy asked, sounding genuinely surprised. "Of course not. If I wanted to make fun of you, I'd say something like, 'Go ahead and try me, bandits. You won't be able to so much as scratch me!"

At once, all four of them drew their weapons. The three men drew their swords with their right hands and knives with their left. The green-clad youth drew both of his swords, and the gemstone in his hand-and-a-half sword in his right began to glow. The dark figure caught a glimpse of his expression. He was grinning, eyes shining.

"I'll go easy on you," he taunted, and the men attacked.

The dark figure watched in disbelief. The men all struck from different directions, and the boy simply dropped to the ground, causing them to miss. The lad wasted no time in switching his left sword into reverse grip and rocketing to his feet, slamming the hilt dead on into the underside of the chin of the man to his left, simultaneously slamming the flat of his right sword into the side of the man on his right. Less than a beat later he had somersaulted backwards and stepped into an odd ready stance. The man whose chin he had struck keeled over, knocked out by the force of the blow. The other man dropped his knife and clutched his side, while the leader charged.

Parrying both of the leader's attacks with his left sword, the boy slammed the cross hilt of his right sword into the leader's temple, and the leader went down. Immediately, the boy spun counterclockwise and slashed at the remaining man's side with his left sword. When the man blocked, he simply completed the spin by repeating the move he had downed the leader with. In less than fifteen seconds, the boy had knocked out all three of his opponents using entirely nonlethal attacks. The boy sheathed his swords and turned, revealing his face to the figure in the shadows. He was still grinning, his eyes alight. He remained so for a few seconds, and then the battle-joy left him and he laughed. The light of the gem in the sword faded.

"I guess common thieves are no problem at all after the battles at Lon Lon," he said happily, as though speaking to someone else. A few seconds later, he laughed again. "Obviously, Aurora. What did you expect? I'm Link, the dual-swordsman from Ordon, wielder of the Sword of Souls, right?" Another few seconds, and then he scowled. The figure could tell the boy was looking at something he couldn't see. "Because I'm not a killer, Aurora. If I can help it, I don't want to kill. Look how easily I took them out! I didn't _need_ to kill. If I don't need to, I won't." A pause. "Look, sword-girl, I don't care whether you think that makes me too soft. It's just one of those things we disagree on, okay? Okay."

He turned. "Now, to find that inn…I've gotten myself so lost in this place. I'm just glad they let us in the city gates before they closed them." He wandered off.

The figure in the shadows moved quietly, passing by the torch and revealing for a short time his white, grey, blue, and red full-body uniform with the mark of the crying eye. _Now this, the Princess will be interested in,_ the masked Sheikah thought to himself.

*  
Location: Interior of Hyrule Royal Palace  
Time: Mid-morning of the sixtieth day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

The Princess Zelda sighed in exasperation. The young woman in her mid-twenties ran a hand through her waist-length golden yellow curls distractedly as she closed her aqua-colored eyes to hide her irritation. Her other arm rested in the lap of her elaborately embroidered white-and-purple multi-layered dress beneath the large circular conference table. She tapped the side of her chair with her foot impatiently.

Directly across from the Princess on the other side of the table sat a nobleman in his mid-thirties, Lord Emit. His short black hair and beard were trimmed neatly and his face was void of the stress-lines one would expect someone of such responsibility to have. He wore an extravagant suit in his House's colors, red and black. His hands, which were folded together on the table in front of him, were both adorned with expensive-looking rings. He leaned forward slightly and fixed the royal heir with an insistent gaze.

Around the rest of the table were a half-dozen other nobles, each as well-dressed and well-groomed as the next, representing their Houses. Over half of the thirteen noble Houses (twelve, if one didn't count the royal family) were present at the meeting. They had all gathered this morning to attempt to pressure Zelda into signing something into law. With her mother recently deceased from illness, she had nearly equal power to her father in all matters political.

"Once more, Lord Emit," the Princess said with the tone of one whose patience has been tested, "I must state my strong disapproval for this. This is the tenth time you have called a meeting on this subject. Do you expect my answer to change when your argument remains the same?"

"But as you can see, Highness," Lord Emit pressed, "A full seven Houses have agreed that this is best for Hyrule – more than half of the noble families. Surely you do not intend to simply deny the evidence before you?"

Opening her eyes, she repressed the urge to glare at the nobleman. "Lord Emit, you have presented me with no evidence beyond the opinions of you and your compatriots," she replied in a carefully measured tone to prevent herself from exhibiting the distaste she felt. "I have yet to see how this new law would benefit anyone _other_ than the noble class. My duty is to Hyrule, not just to Hylian nobility."

"Highness, do you truly think that we would shirk our own duties to the common people? With this ordinance, we would be better equipped to assist those under our protection," Emit answered easily. The other nobles nodded their heads. Zelda ran her hand through her hair once again before placing it with the other in her lap.

"Honestly, Lord Emit? If you had the money that this law would give you, I can see you doing nothing but using it to fund your own pleasures," she said, giving up on diplomacy. "And it would hurt the mercantile class in the short term for dubious long term benefit even if half of you actually did as you claim you would with the new money." Emit opened his mouth to protest, but Zelda cut him off. "This meeting is over," she said abruptly, standing. "If you intend to bother me about it again, at least do some research into why it would be of some benefit rather than asking me to rely on the goodness of your hearts." She curtsied sharply and then turned and walked from the room.

Lord Emit waited until he was sure she was out of earshot and then ground his teeth.

"That obnoxious little brat!" he snarled. "She likes nothing better than to disrespect us and dismiss us offhand. If the King hadn't turned over law-signing to his daughter this wouldn't be so damned difficult!"

"She certainly is unnecessarily offensive," remarked an older white-haired noble named Lord Curlain, who wore a suit of gold and white. He wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Accusing us of opulence and corruption."

"Why did the Princess have to be so strong-willed? Farore!" muttered a youthful blond nobleman of Zelda's age wearing green and orange, Lord Snowe.

"Perhaps this is not the best approach," offered Lord Yael, a brown-haired gentleman of Emit's age dressed in blue and violet. "Perhaps we should be more…forceful."

"If you are suggesting what I think you are, Yael, then I'll have nothing to do with it," Lord Mannel, a brown and gold clad elderly man, declared adamantly. He shook his grizzled head vigorously. "I will not take part in any treasonous act. We must do this legally."

The two remaining nobles, a man not yet twenty with orange hair wearing orange and blue called Lord Damien and a middle-aged man in black and white with a completely bald head named Lord Laxus, remained silent. An angry mood had settled over the table. The nobles sat in uncomfortable silence. The Emit stood.

"Well," he said angrily, "I suppose we're done for the day. But I'll be damned if I let this be the end of it. I _will_ see that girl sign the law, one way" – he pounded the table once with his fist – "or another." He turned on his heel and stormed out of the room.

One by one, the others stood and followed until Damien and Laxus were the only two remaining in the room. Damien turned to his elder.

"I think we'd better keep an eye on Emit and Yael," he said. "I wouldn't put treason past them."

The middle-aged noble nodded. "We'll keep this to ourselves, but stay on guard. The level of dissent against the Princess is bothering me. We need to help watch her back."

"Yes. I'm sure the Sheikah are already watching them, but two more pairs of eyes can't hurt. The Zelda is not only important as the Princess, but also as future Queen. We can't risk letting the throne fall into the hands of someone other than a Hyrule, and that's exactly what will happen if someone decides to assassinate her."

"Indeed." Lord Laxus stood. "Shall we go?"

Lord Damien rose to his feet as well. "Of course," he said politely, bowing. "After you."

*  
A shadow detached itself from the wall as Princess Zelda walked past, revealing itself to be the Sheikan man who had been on the streets the night before. She stopped and turned her head sideways so she could see him.

"Princess, I have my report," he said in a low voice.

"Relay it," she commanded.

"It is as you suspected, Highness. Lord Emit's hands are stained red. Not only is he funding the operation, he has personal investments in it. His watchdogs are highly skilled. I do not know if I can continue the operation for much longer before I am caught."

She pursed her lips. "Now we need evidence, if we are to make a move. Any ideas, Arlon?"

The Sheikah paused thoughtfully. "The simplest and surest method would be to place a man inside," he said, "but that task is one no Sheikah can do. As I said, his watchdogs are no amateurs, and they are well-informed. They'll recognize any sign of Sheikan fighting style. Knights can't be used because of familiarity concerns. That leaves outsiders."

The Princess turned to face him fully, frowning. "But how could we trust a mercenary to stay true to the mission instead of compromising it? It seems impossible."

Arlon hesitated.

"What is it? Do you have someone in mind?"

Another pause, while the Sheikah debated the wisdom of his decision. "Yes," he said at last, "I do. A highly skilled swordsman from former Vice-general Faro's hometown of Ordon is in the city. Sergeant Hawk encountered him several weeks ago in Napils and spoke highly of him, both his morals and his skills. News from Lon Lon says that he broke a curse placed on the village not long after. And I saw him when I was returning from my mission last night. He dispatched three brigands using only nonlethal attacks in less than fifteen seconds. And…"

"And?"

"His fighting style is completely unique; he dual-wields in a manner I have never seen nor heard of. He wields a sword I heard him claim was alive and witnessed him speak to – and given the rest of what is known, this points more toward him having an artifact than insanity. Additionally, he was wearing a green tunic and hat; you know the significance that that has."

Zelda looked very intrigued. "Interesting. Arlon, your new mission will be to bring him to me. Understood?"

Arlon nodded. "Understood."

"Then you are dismissed."

The Sheikah faded into the shadows once again.

*  
Location: Hyrule Castle City  
Time: Mid-morning of the sixtieth day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

"I still can't get over just how _big_ this place is."

Link was walking down the streets, staring around him in wonder. He had arrived just after dusk the night before and barely managed to get in the city before the gates had closed. He had navigated the streets and eventually found an inn to stay the night. Thirty rupees lighter, he had left the building early that morning to explore the city.

It was, compared to anything he had ever seen before, absolutely huge. The city itself was even bigger than the ranch and village of Lon Lon combined, but Lon Lon was full of empty space, and the city was completely packed with streets and buildings. How so many people could live in one place was beyond the village boy. Every time he turned a corner new sights awaited him, whether they were outdoor shops selling wares, children playing games, a regiment of Knights patrolling the streets, or thieves assaulting unsuspecting civilians. In the latter case, Link made a habit of interrupting the crime in progress.

The styles of dress varied wildly from person to person, and many of them Link had never seen the likes of before. About the only style he didn't see was his own. He stared wide-eyed at the passers-by, earning himself a few dirty looks.

"Meh. Compared to the Arren capital, this place is just a rinky-dink town," Aurora said dismissively, but she too was gazing around and soaking up the sights.

The two of them wandered aimlessly, caught up in the novel experience. For both of them, it was the first time they had seen a city with their own eyes. Aurora had the memories of the previous souls to draw upon, but there was nothing quite like first-hand experience.

"You, green swordsman!" a hearty man's voice called out.

Link turned and looked for the speaker. It didn't take long to locate him. He was a large, brawny man standing beside a building with a banner labeled "Arnie's Amazing Archery Activities" hanging in front of it. He waved.

"You look like you're a skilled fighter!" he called. "Do you know how to shoot a bow? If so, you should try your hand at Arnie's Archery! Take the opportunity to practice your skills and win prizes in the bargain! What do you say?"

Link glanced at Aurora, who shrugged.

"All right then," Link responded cheerfully, navigating through the crowd to the building. The man gave him a broad smile.

"Come in, come in, thank you," he said, opening the door and ushering Link inside.

_Amazing Archery Activities indeed, _Link thought, impressed. The game shop was divided into three sections. One was a target shooting area, where targets, suspended by ropes, swung across the stage. The second was an area where moving boxes shot darts at the player, and the player had to deactivate the boxes by striking them in a precise spot with an arrow. The third was labeled "expert challenge," but Link couldn't tell what the game was.

The hearty man settled himself behind a counter near the door. He fixed Link with a massive grin.

"The swinging targets are 10 rupees for easy, 15 for medium, 20 for hard, and 25 for impossible. The prizes are 20 rupees for easy, a free pass for swinging targets or dart dodge for medium, a new quiver and a set of arrows for hard, and for impossible…well," he gave a conspiratorial wink, "that's a secret." He pointed at the area with the dart-shooting boxes. "The dart dodge is 10 for easy and 20 rupees for hard. You get a prize based on how fast you win and how many times you get hit. Hard has bigger prizes than easy." He gestured toward the area labeled "expert challenge." "And lastly, the expert challenge is 50 rupees a go. You better be sure you can shoot before taking that challenge up. It combines shooting swinging targets with goblins painted on them, not shooting targets with Hylians painted on them, and avoiding attacks from dart-shooting boxes and other things."

Link gazed around at the games, pondering which to try first. He only had thirty rupees, so he'd have to win some money. While he thought, the owner said, "We've got several bows to choose from, and we provide all the arrows. You'll have a set number of arrows for each challenge."

"Oh, I have my own bow," Link assured him, reaching into his bottomless bag and pulling it out. The man gave a startled gasp.

"Well, what do you know? That's one handy bag you got there, mister!"

"I think I'll try easy on the swinging targets first," Link decided, handing the man a yellow rupee. The owner handed over a quiver with thirty blunt-tipped arrows.

"Stand on the white line and get ready," he said, placing his hand by a switch. "There's fifteen targets. You got to hit all of them to win." He pressed the switch.

The targets swung slowly across the stage at different angles, one at a time. Link carefully aimed each shot, closing one eye and sighting along the arrow, burying the shafts in every target, never once missing. The big man gave him a round of applause and a red rupee when he finished. Link immediately went on to medium, where he was given 25 arrows to hit 15 targets. The targets swung at a much faster pace, but they still remained in sight for about two seconds each. Occasionally, there were two on stage at the same time. Spending less time lining up his shots, the youth still managed to hit all the targets without wasting a single arrow. He felt the Triforce on his hand heat slightly. He was handed a free pass, which he immediately used for hard mode. Now each target remained for between one and two seconds and there were always two or three targets at once swinging in different directions. He wasted only one of his 20 arrows in hitting the 15 targets; he noted that the back of his hand had begun to feel hot. The man shook his head.

"You're a real good kid, green guy. I've never seen someone beat hard on first try except some of the Hylian Knights." He handed over a decorated quiver full of thirty fine combat arrows, which Link immediately placed into his pouch alongside his other quiver. Link cocked his head thoughtfully. He only had twenty-five rupees left. If he tried impossible and failed, he'd have nothing left. He turned to the brawny man.

"I'd like to try the dart dodge, easy, next."

Stepping into the area, he readied his bow with one of the thirty training arrows he had been given. The owner turned on five of the waist-height boxes and scrambled out of the space to start the timer.

The dart dodge was much more like real combat than the swinging targets, and the green-clad youth became fully engrossed in his activity. He played the game several times on easy, earning higher scores each time (and higher prizes – all of which were monetary) before switching over to hard, where there were twice the number of "opponents." Rolling, leaping, and twisting like a cat, Link dodged dart after dart while positioning himself to shoot the patch that deactivated the boxes. His face split into its customary battle grin, accompanied by the light in his eyes, as he played the game again and again. His body was fully covered with pin-prick wounds by the time he finished, but he had improved massively. He could feel the Triforce on the back of his hand, but it burned less than it had when he first started playing the game. He felt an intense satisfaction – more and more it was his own skill, not the magic of the sacred mark, that enabled him to succeed.

Aurora whistled when he finally stepped out. "You're getting pretty good," she commented, clearly impressed. "Not just a swordmaster but an archer, too!"

The boy smiled. Not only had he been getting a lot of good practice, but he'd gotten a lot of money out of it. When he had initiated the dart dodge, he had 25 rupees. Now, he had ten times that. Nor was that the only reward he had gotten. He had several free passes (and he had used a couple already), a coupon that would get him a discount on combat gear at most of the shops in the central market, an archery glove with the Royal emblem on it (not really necessary, but neat nonetheless), and a few other trinkets.

"I think I'm ready for the impossible level on the swinging targets," he said, handing a free pass to the man.

"I'm warning you, no one's ever beat it before," the fellow chuckled. "That's why it's called impossible. But if you _do_ win…the prize is direct from the palace. It's a one of a kind." He smirked. "But I won't tell you what it is unless you win it!" He passed fifteen practice arrows over to the boy, who fitted one to his bow and stood ready at the line. "All right! In five, four, three, two, one…" He hit the switch.

Fifteen arrows, fifteen targets. But the game wasn't as simple as that. No target remained visible for more than a second, and frequently they appeared for only half a second. The targets swinging in at all kinds of awkward angles, the stage nearly always had three targets on stage at the same time. The game lasted for less than eight seconds. Eight seconds in which to fire fifteen arrows. Link's hand flew in a burning blur as he tried to pin down the targets. When the whistle blew, signifying the end, there were no arrows left in the boy's quiver. However, a full third of the targets were still arrow-free.

"Wanna try again, mister?" the owner egged Link on. "You still have some free passes to spend! What do you say?"

Link placed all four of his passes on the counter. "I'm playing this thing until I beat it," he declared. The owner's grin widened.

"Sure thing!" he answered happily.

The second time he played, he did slightly more poorly than the first, hitting only eight of the targets. The third time was better; eleven targets had arrows sticking out of them. Between the third and fourth tries, he took a several minute break, massaging his arm. The fourth time, only three targets were untouched. The fifth time, the last of his passes, a solitary target escaped him. His determination strengthened. He sat down and rested again before paying the fee to play again. Two arrows missed. Then three. Then one. Another rest. The ninth time he tried, he struck every last target.

"I did it!" he crowed, dropping the bow and clutching his aching left arm. The large man stared at him in disbelief. The difficulty level had been named impossible for a reason. The player had to shoot at a rate of more than two arrows a second while changing the angle of the bow and aiming at fast-moving targets. He hadn't thought that _anyone_ could beat that level.

"_I want you to add a new difficulty level," the young Princess said seriously._

_ "Of course, Your Highness," Arnie, owner of the best archery game shop in town, if he did say so himself, replied. Why he had received a visit from the royal heir herself was beyond him, but he was enjoying the attention so far._

_ "Make it so hard that you don't think anyone will ever beat it," she continued. "More than twice as fast as the hardest difficulty you currently have and with more targets simultaneously visible." She produced an arrow. It was fletched with white feathers from some bird that he didn't recognize, and the shaft was made of a very light-colored wood. The arrowhead appeared to be made of solid gold._

_ "This will be the prize, should anyone happen to win. Also, should someone win, you must send a message to me at the palace immediately."_

_ "As you wish, Your Majesty," he humbly answered as he gingerly accepted the arrow._

_ "This arrow is more valuable than you can imagine," the Princess warned. "It is a magic arrow. The one who wins it will be capable of using it. Losing it before this potential winner receives it will be considered a treasonous act. You are being entrusted with something very important. Do not betray that trust."_

_ "Yes, Princess," he said, his voice trembling with awe and apprehension. He would have to keep it safe and secure._

"For six years…" he whispered to himself.

He left the room and returned, carrying the arrow carefully.

"Ooh, that's magic! Wonder what it does?" Aurora commented excitedly.

"This here is a magic arrow," Arnie said reverently as he handed it to Link.

"I just said that, big guy," Aurora remarked.

"I don't know what powers it has, but when the Princess entrusted it to me six years ago, she said the one who beat the impossible difficulty would be able to use it. Take good care of it."

Link took the arrow and studied it. It was the most perfect arrow he had ever seen. The shaft was perfectly straight, smooth and polished. The feathers were undamaged, not even ruffled, and he couldn't see what attached them to the shaft; he assumed magic. The golden arrowhead was shaped perfectly, it's edges razor sharp, and it too was affixed to the wood by some invisible force. As soon as he touched it, he knew why Aurora had recognized it as magic; there was a feeling of comfortable warmth, like a warm blanket on a winter's night. The back of his hand, which had stopped the burning it had done while he played the archery games, tingled as if in anticipation. Holding the arrow in one hand, he picked up his bow and knocked the magical missile to it. Turning toward the swinging targets area, he pulled it back.

A warm sweep of energy flowed through his body like a stream, its exit point the fingers that held the arrow. The tip of the arrow suddenly began shedding brilliant, near-blinding light. He was about to let go when Aurora said, "Um…Link? I hate to be the one to tell you this, but it would probably not be a good idea to shoot that in here. For all we know, it'll go straight through the wall and keep on going."

Link relaxed his grip and lessened his pull, the light fading from the arrow along with the energy. He removed the arrow and placed both it and his bow into his pouch. He turned back to the owner of the shop and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you," he said, "I'll take good care of it."

*  
Location: Hyrule Castle City Market  
Time: Afternoon of the sixtieth day of the Summer of the 35th Year of the Reign of King Armin Hyrule II

"I said to leave, you little brats!" Lord Emit snarled at the children playing ball in front of him.

He had been walking, unescorted, to the central market to meet with someone, and he did not have the time to walk around all the little commoner children that kept getting in his way. The little pests should clear a path for him, he thought. He was a Lord, and the Head of a noble House. He growled. He did not want to miss the meeting with his contact. This was too important; that was why he had come himself instead of sending a servant.

The children scattered, laughing, and he sullenly strode through. At least that damned Princess hadn't managed to uncover anything important about his illegal fighting ring, he reassured himself. He allowed himself a small smile. It wasn't for lack of trying, according to his security assigned to the project. There had been snoops found lurking, but they had been chased off before they had gotten deep enough to make any difference. The Princess couldn't do anything without proof of her suspicions.

The noble stopped beside a merchant's stall selling apples imported to the city from the Hoklir. The merchant opened his mouth to attempt to sell his wares, but the dangerous glare he received from the black-haired man caused him to shut it again quickly. Not thirty seconds had passed when a rather nondescript man wearing brown leather pants and shirt sidled up to the noble casually.

"A fine summer day," he said smoothly. "I'm sure the night will be fine as well."

"And fine nights make for happy men," Emit replied, finishing the password.

"Well, my Lord, it is a bit too fine a day for me; I need some shade. Shall we go indoors?"

"By all means, my man."

The two of them casually glanced around and then began walking toward the location where they would have their real conversation in private.

"Hey, Kita, hold up and wait for me!" a young boy's voice called.

A young girl around ten years of age ran through the crowd, turning her head back to giggle and yell, "No way, you can't catch me, brother! Oof!"

She had run straight into Lord Emit, as neither of them had noticed the other, causing both of them to lose balance and fall. She looked up to apologize and her eyes went wide with horror when she saw the suit. She immediately bowed her head to the ground and began apologizing profusely. Her brother caught up as Emit stood and brushed himself off and he too began apologizing on his hands and knees for his sister. The nobleman looked down on them with contemptuous anger.

"Do you know who I am, you brats?" he snarled viciously – and loudly. A small circle formed around them as people in the vicinity went silent and stepped back. "I am Lord Emit, and you have had the gall to not only _touch_ me but knock me to the ground. My suit is filthy, thanks to you."

"I'm sorry!" both children cried.

"You're sorry?" he asked in a dangerous voice. "You're sorry?" he repeated again, much more loudly. "Too damn bad, you peasant brats!" He stomped his foot on the back of the young boy, causing him to collapse. "You assaulted me and ruined my suit, you filthy little rats!" He kicked the girl with his other foot. She gasped in pain. "I should have you –"

The sound of swords clearing their sheaths caused him to stop mid-sentence and look up. A teenage boy wearing a green tunic and hat with beige leggings stood inside the circle formed by the crowd, swords in his hands, which were by his sides. One of the weapons was ordinary, but the other was a beautiful bastard sword with a gem that glowed embedded in the hilt. The boy fixed him with an icy glare, but Emit could see him trembling, and he didn't think it had anything to do with fear. The blond swordsman said nothing.

"Who the hell are you?" snarled Emit. Emit's companion slowly backed away.

"Remove your foot from that boy," Link said coldly, the fury causing his voice to shake slightly.

"Are you ordering me?" Emit demanded in angry disbelief. He pressed down harder spitefully.

"No," Link replied. He narrowed his eyes and raised his blades into his ready stance. "I'm threatening you."

Emit suddenly became aware that his partner had abandoned him. He slowly lifted his foot and set it down on the ground. The children embraced each other, crying.

"You have just threatened the Head of House Emit, one of the thirteen Houses of Hyrule," the noble said in a low voice. "I can have you executed."

The children stood and stumbled off into the crowd.

"Why Farore ever thought to give you life, I don't know," Link said, "but I will not argue with the goddess." He sheathed his blades in one fluid motion. "However, noble or not, I won't allow anyone to treat another living person that way." He turned and walked off through the crowd as the noble stared after him in furious disbelief. Now his entire _day_ had been ruined, not just the suit.

Two pairs of eyes from the crowd in particular watched the green-clad boy go with interest.

*  
"That was incredibly stupid," Aurora said, "and I'm proud of you."

"Is that supposed to be a reprimand or a compliment?" Link queried, leaning back into the bench he was sitting on along the side of the street. Aurora leaned over the edge of the bench and placed her head over his shoulder.

"Both," she said, grinning.

Link sighed. "I know that I can't just go threatening important people but... that man shouldn't be a noble; he should be in prison!"

Aurora's face took on a more serious expression. "Unfortunately, nobles are decided by birth, not by deed. And nobles can get away with a lot. Usually not everything, it depends on the country, but a lot. They are automatically considered better than everyone else. Nobody in the crowd stopped him from hurting those kids because nobody felt they _could_. It takes someone with a special kind of courage to stand up to nobility and royalty. Or a special kind of stupidity," she added with a grin.

"And let me guess, you think it's the latter. Aren't you a flatterer."

"C'mon, cheer up Link. Think about happy stuff. Like winning that arrow."

Link scowled. "I'm glad I won, but I don't like why I won." Aurora nodded as she repositioned herself to sit beside him.

"The Triforce, you mean?"

"Yes. I want to be able to do things on my own power, not rely on the goddesses' mark."

"Then keep practicing, I suppose. I have noticed, in the short time we've been together, that you learn and gain skills very quickly. Much faster than anyone that the Sword of Souls has ever known."

"Hmm."

The two of them sat in silence.

Link lost himself in his thoughts. The day had been full of new experiences. After the archery store, at which he spent a solid three hours, he had taken to wandering again and found his way to the marketplace. He had been impressed by the number of random covered booths selling items in his previous meanderings, but they were nothing compared to the market. From huge, fancy buildings stuffed to the brim with shops for the wealthy to upside-down boxes serving as the only counter for unsavory sellers of questionable goods, nearly every kind of shop was there in large numbers. He had purchased lunch for himself and then picked up a number of relatively inexpensive trinkets. Visiting a store that sold weaponry and adventuring gear, he had purchased a cloth with a minor magic charm that could remove blood from swords and wounds without it accumulating on the cloth. He also picked up some new ammunition so that both of his quivers were full and obtained a bag specifically designed to hold bombs (and a set of ten bombs to fill it). He had admired the armor and other weapons, but decided not to purchase anything else; he only had forty rupees left by this time.

After exploring the shops, he had mingled with the crowd, listening to gossip and catching bits and pieces of the news. It appeared that while the trouble of monsters had continued to increase in the rest of Hyrule, no sign of the impending danger was showing itself within the walls of the city. Gossip, gossip, and more gossip eventually caused him to give up the task as hopeless.

Link nearly jumped out of his skin, and he _did_ jump off the bench, when he noticed a man wearing a white, gray, and blue full-body jumpsuit-style uniform was sitting right next to him. Aurora let out a small disbelieving gasp at the same time.

_How on earth did he get so close to me without me noticing?_ Link wondered, shocked.

"My apologies for startling you," the man said calmly. "You were a bit preoccupied and I was unsure of how to approach you."

"The first thing to do would have been to say something," Link said, his heart still pounding frantically from the surprise.

"Seriously!" added Aurora, shaking her head. "But how did he sneak up on us like that? It's not like we're blind!"

The man merely gazed calmly at the boy. "I am sorry," he repeated. "I meant no offence. I bear you no ill will."

"That much I guessed," Link replied, placing his hand over his chest, his heartbeat beginning to return to normal. "I would have noticed if you meant to hurt me. I've got a sort of sixth sense for danger."

"Most expert fighters do," remarked the man. "Though I would be unsurprised to find yours to be keener than most."

Aurora looked at him quizzically. "That still doesn't explain how you got so close, you know."

"You do realize he can't hear you, right Aurora?" Link commented with a glance at his friend. She frowned.

"Yeah, but it's bothering me."

By way of explanation, Link told the stranger, "I was talking to the spirit of this sword." He pointed over his shoulder. The man nodded as if that were very reasonable.

"I know. I'm aware that you have a living sword."

Surprise was etched on Link's face. "How did you know that?"

"I know quite a bit about you, actually. I know that you assisted Sergeant Hawke of the Hylian Knights in defending Napils, and I know that you broke a curse that was placed on Lon Lon. I know that you hail from Ordon. I also know that the Princess Zelda wishes you to have audience with her. It is for that reason that I am here."

For several seconds, Link and Aurora merely stared at the man while he looked back at Link impassively. Link finally broke the silence by saying, "The Princess?"

"That is correct. News of you has reached her ear and she wishes for your assistance on a matter of great importance."

"Why does she want me?" Link managed after another pause.

"The matter for which she desires your aid is one that requires an outsider, someone not familiar to the noble class of Castle City," he explained. "And you seem to be both highly skilled and very trustworthy."

"Espionage," Aurora said at once. "Spying. Infiltration. Sneaking around. Going undercover. Probably with the purpose of unearthing the wrongdoings of one of the nobles. That has to be it." She eyed Link doubtfully. "I don't really think you're suited to that sort of thing."

"She wants me to spy for her? I don't see why she would need a –"

"The matter is rather complicated, and it is also not something that should be openly discussed. Will you come with me?"

Link and Aurora exchanged a look. "Up to you, Hero," she said, shrugging. "But I'd say this has a chance of being tied to your dream." His face hardened in determination.

"Yes," the hero chosen to wield the Triforce of Courage, the wielder of the Sword of Souls, said, "I will go with you."

**END CHAPTER EIGHT**

**COMING NEXT IN CHAPTER NINE: MISSION**

Link meets Princess Zelda and takes on an important mission: to attend the illegal fighting tournament with the intent to either get incriminating evidence on Lord Emit…or capture him. In that tournament, Link finds people of all kinds…including potential allies.


	9. Mission

**Notes:** Hello again. You'll notice I decided to truncate the "year" part of the "time" line. It was a little long. Anyway, last chapter was chock full of new characters, and this chapter introduces a few new ones as well – specifically, two very important characters. Woo! And I offer a warning: this chapter has lots of fighting, and it isn't against monsters. Ooh. Anyway, read, enjoy, and maybe even review!

**Previous Chapter Summary:** Upon arriving in Hyrule Castle City, the capital of Hyrule, Link is observed defeating bandits with nonlethal attacks by Arlon, a Sheikah who answers directly to Princess Zelda. After dealing with troublesome nobles trying to pass a law she thinks is inappropriate (headed by Lord Emit) Zelda receives a recommendation from Arlon to use Link to obtain evidence of wrongdoing on the part of Lord Emit with connection to an illegal fighting ring. Link goes to an archery game shop, and trains for a considerable time with the bow, eventually winning a magic arrow. Later that day, Link sees Lord Emit abusing commoner children and steps in to defend them. Finally, as he is relaxing afterward, he is approached by Arlon, who tells him that Zelda requests his presence, and he decides to go with the Sheikah.

**CHAPTER NINE: Mission**

Location: Hyrule Castle  
Time: Late evening of the sixtieth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

"Refresh my memory," Link said skeptically, eyeing the wall-scaling gear his guide had pulled out of nowhere dubiously. "_Why_ exactly are we sneaking into the palace instead of going through the front?"

"Because we cannot have others know you are meeting with the Princess," the uniformed man replied patiently for the sixth time. "The mission for which she requests your aid must remain secret."

Link gave a paranoid glance at the silent courtyard around them. "And for this, we not only snuck into the palace grounds, but we're scaling the wall of the castle itself to climb in through a window into a room belonging to the Princess?"

"Correct."

"At this point, how do I know I'm not just being set up, here?" he said, frowning.

"I have told you this already," the man answered, no hint of irritation in his voice. "I am a Sheikah, one of the race that serves the royal family of Hyrule from the shadows and has for hundreds of years. The garb I wear is evidence of this."

"And I'm just supposed to take your word for it? Look, I grew up in Ordon, and it's not exactly like we have a great knowledge of the history of Hyrule there, or even a great knowledge of the way Hyrule is right now. The only things I know about this city are the things that Faro and Falo told me, and neither of them told me any stories about Sheikah. You could be an assassin, for all I know."

Arlon studied him seriously. "Do you think I am?" he asked in a neutral tone.

Link paused and stared for a moment before sighing. "No, I don't. I don't know why, but I think you're telling the truth."

"Then we should get going. We don't want to be discovered by the guards."

"I don't know about you," a teasing voice said from behind Link, "but I'm enjoying this." Aurora grinned.

Link frowned at the Sheikah again, then shrugged resignedly. The uniformed man tossed up his grappling hook and pulled it tight, starting the climb and gesturing for the boy to follow him. Sighing, the green-clothed youth wrapped his hands around the rope and began scaling the wall.

"You sigh too much," Aurora said, grabbing the hilt of her sword and allowing herself to be hauled up as Link climbed.

"Oh, hush."

The two climbers clambered up onto the ledge where the hook was lodged, then repeated the process again. After several repetitions, and much sneaking along the ledges, they climbed through a large open window. Link had to stifle a gasp.

It was a medium-sized room, lined along one edge with dressers and stands (with many mirrors and makeup objects on top and apparently clothing inside, judging by one opened drawer), along another with desks and more chests-of-drawers (upon which were various implements such as pencils, pens, paint brushes, canvas, paper, and so forth), along the window wall with full-sized mirrors and easels with canvas (upon which there were half-finished paintings of various kinds), and along the opposite wall the door and several treasure chests of various sizes (firmly and securely locked). In the center of the room was a large, comfortable-looking green armchair by a small table. In that chair, facing the window with half-closed eyes, was the Princess.

When she noticed them, he eyes opened wider and Link thought he saw a satisfied smirk for just an instant. The next moment it was gone, replaced by an impassive, regal expression. She was very pretty, Link decided, but there was something about her that he didn't like. He couldn't place his finger on what it was, but something in the atmosphere seemed uncomfortable to him. He had only a second to contemplate that, however, because her eyes widened again and her eyebrows shot up as he and the Sheikah entered the room.

"Yo, Princess! Surprised?" Aurora waved at her, laughing at her expression. "It looks like you can see and hear me! Name's –"

"I've brought the swordsman, Highness" Arlon reported solemnly, unwittingly interrupting Aurora's irreverent introduction. She glared at him.

"It's rude to interrupt," she huffed before sticking her tongue out at him. Link facepalmed. He looked up again, and then kneeled before Zelda.

"My name is Link, of Ordon, Your Majesty," he began respectfully. "And I would first like to apologize for my companion's rude behavior. She means well, but she does not respect customs as one would expect. Her name is Aurora, the spirit of this sword," – he gestured at the hilt protruding above his shoulder – "the Sword of Souls. I have been told by your servant that you wanted to see me, Your Grace?"

The Sheikah stepped into the background and faded from view as he leaned against the corner, partially hidden by one of the dressers. Zelda's eyes returned to normal size, and her expression shifted back to the regal one, which Link felt was unnatural. She turned her gaze away from Aurora and looked down at him.

"Link," she said in a tone that felt of authority, "do you have the Arrow of Light?"

He blinked, taken aback slightly by the unexpected question, then nodded. "Yes, Princess."

"Remove your gloves," she commanded.

He did so slowly, wondering what exactly was going on. This time, he was positive he saw the smirk flit across her face when her eyes fell on the glittering mark on the back of his left hand.

"What's with the random stripping order?" Aurora questioned nonchalantly. "Gonna ask him to take off his tunic next?"

"Aurora!" Link reprimanded, mortified.

"I'm just joking," she said, "geez."

"I was merely ascertaining that he was, in fact, the Hero chosen by the three goddesses. The mark of the Triforce on his hand is the proof," Zelda explained, as if Aurora had not just insinuated anything. "I was the one who placed the Arrow of Light at the archery shop, giving the owner orders to inform me when someone arrived who won it. The green outfit and the skill to win the arrow were evidence of your identity," she continued, now addressing Link, "and the Triforce mark is the absolute proof."

"If I may ask, Your Highness, how do you know this?" Link ventured cautiously.

"For all that the world has forgotten," she replied in a manner that Link perceived as haughty, "the Royal Family of Hyrule and the race of the Sheikah remember more. We know the legends. Throughout Hyrule's history there have been Heroes chosen to wield the Master Sword, the Blade of Evil's Bane, to combat danger threatening this country. Each of them was blessed with the power of the Triforce of Courage, and each wore the garb of the first Hero, the Hero of Time. The Hero of Time, the first and most important of the Heroes, used two sacred artifacts in his quest against the great Evil known as Ganon: the Master Sword, which has been the Hero's legacy, and the Ocarina of Time, which disappeared along with the Hero once his quest was complete.

"The great Evil, Ganon, was defeated by the Hero, and with the power of the Sages, which he awakened to their powers, the Hero sealed Ganon away," she continued, caught up in her telling of the legend. Her blue eyes seemed to be staring into the distance. "Ganon could not be destroyed, for the great Evil had obtained the Triforce of Power, becoming immortal. He had received this sacred blessing by stealing into the Sacred Realm, the Holy Land, and taking the Triforce for his own. But it rejected him, leaving him with only the fragment that best suited his corrupted soul, and the other two pieces found the Hero and my ancestor, the Princess of the time – he received Courage and she Wisdom. The Hero took up the Master Sword and brought Ganon down, but because of Power, he remained alive within the Sacred Seal.

"Many years have passed since then, and the Evil has broken free of his seal several times, only to be defeated by the new Hero each time and placed back in his ancient prison. And there he has remained until this day. Yet," she said, bringing her eye back to focus and looking at Link sharply, "a fell wind has begun to blow across Hyrule once again, and a new Hero has arisen. Could this be a prelude to another return by Ganon? There is no way to know, but that you are here now can only be fate. The Hero's task is not solely the defeat of the great Evil, but also the combat of the lesser evils that threaten the peace and prosperity of our nation. And I am in need of your aid."

Zelda stood up from her chair. "Link, of Ordon," she spoke, her voice ringing with command, "will you pledge to aid me as I fight against the dangers that threaten Hyrule's stability from within these city walls?"

"Hold up!" said Aurora, throwing her hands up as if to stop something. "Slow down!" Link turned his head to face her; she was standing next to him and looking at Zelda. "I get the legend stuff, now. I'm sure there's a more detailed story, but I don't really care at the moment. But I didn't hear you say _anything_ about the Hero's job description including serving the Princess's whims." Zelda opened her mouth indignantly to protest, but Aurora cut her off. "I know you said "aid" you, but I'm no fool. What you really want is for Link to become your servant and help you sort out your issues with the nobles." She glared. "Too damn bad! Link's concern is with Hyrule as a whole, not your petty political problems. If you want help, ask for it properly, don't try to get him to "pledge" you anything." She continued glaring at the Princess, daring her to argue. There was a stunned silence.

It was finally broken by Link. "As…as much as I disagree with _how_ Aurora said it," he began nervously, "she is right, your Highness. I have been chosen by the goddesses, and it is them whom I serve. I cannot pledge myself to any causes other than the one to which I am already pledged: saving Hyrule from the dark shadow that approaches. I do not know what that quest will entail, but I cannot compromise my ability to complete it by tying myself to one place." He cleared his throat. "That said, I _do_ wish to help you with combating the evils of the noble class. I saw for myself today how a lord can get away with cruelty. I made the mistake of threatening him, however, so my usefulness for your mission may be compromised."

Zelda looked down at the kneeling boy, her expression unreadable. For several moments, silence reigned again. Then the Princess placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Arise," she said softly. Link rose to his feet. "I apologize," she quietly continued. "I should not have been so aggressive in my approach. You are correct. It would be wrong to allow yourself to be bound to one place. I merely wish to see you assist me in this endeavor." She seated herself again and sighed. "One of the noble lords, Lord Emit, is running an illegal fighting ring," she said in a more normal tone, "but I have no proof of this. This ring exists for wealthy men to gamble on the combatants in life-or-death battles. These battles do not have rules to safeguard the lives of the participants, nor are there restrictions on who may enter or what the combatants may do to one another. This travesty cannot be allowed to continue." She paused. "The location of the fights changes with every competition, but with the Sheikah it would not be hard to find them and arrest those involved. However, Lord Emit is a clever man, and I doubt he would be caught so easily. I do not" – her eyes narrowed – "want to let him get away with this. Therefore, I need proof of his wrongdoing so that he can be punished."

"And how does Link figure into this?" demanded Aurora.

"I need you, Link, to enter the tournament. I need you to do one of two things: obtain proof of his ties to the ring, or capture him while on site and signal me to send in my troops to arrest him. Either of those alternatives will work."

"What would be an example of proof?" Aurora queried, the fire leaving her tone as her curiosity got the better of her.

"A document with his signature relating to the funding or running of the tournament would be best, but that is unlikely. Most of the things that come to my mind will work as evidence, but not proof, unfortunately." She shook her head.

"So, basically, you're telling us to go figure it out on our own?" Aurora managed. "Aren't you little miss responsible!"

"There's just one problem," Link said uneasily. "You wanted me because I wouldn't be recognized, but Lord Emit is the one I threatened in the street today."

"That can be remedied with a disguise," Zelda said dismissively. "And Arlon will take care of getting you into the tournament. Will you do this?"

Link and Aurora exchanged a glance.

"It's up to you," she said, shrugging. "Where you go, I'll follow. I kinda have to, what with being your sword and all."

Link contemplated for a moment, then responded, "Yes, Your Majesty."

*  
Location: Hyrule Castle City, an abandoned part of the city  
Time: Night of the sixty-third day of Summer (KAHII 35)

_I hope this disguise works, Aurora,_ Link thought at his partner. _I feel like an idiot dressed like this_.

_You don't look any more like a dork than usual,_ she returned cheerfully. _And as long as you don't do anything stupid the disguise should hold up just fine_.

_Who are you saying looks like a dork normally?_ Link protested. _I don't want to hear it from a talking hunk of metal. It's the Hero's garb._

_Whatever you say, floppy-hat-boy._

Link grumbled as he shifted his clothes slightly. He was wearing long red, brown, and grey leather pants and a similarly colored leather shirt and jacket. It restricted his movement a little more than he was used to, but he had spent some time during the day practicing in it to become more accustomed to it. He was wearing a loose maroon head-wrap that covered his hair and obscured the lower half of his face. He wore his usual gloves and boots. The hilts of his swords were both wrapped in black cloth, the one on Aurora covering her gem to hide its glow. The sword sheaths were also wrapped in black cloth to obscure any recognizable details.

He and Aurora were waiting with many of the other contestants in a dilapidated warehouse next to the large open area (a space clear of buildings approximately 100 feet long and sixty feet wide that had once been a market place but was long since abandoned) where the combats were to take place. Seating had been erected in tiers along the edges of the open area for audience members to watch the fights. Another building on the far side from the warehouse housed the money-changers for the betting. Currently, those who had arrived were waiting for the rest of the guests and players to come.

He glanced around at the others pacing, standing, and sitting in the falling-apart building as more trickled in. There were people of all sizes, ages, and genders. The majority of the contestants were Hylian, since Castle City was composed almost entirely of Hylians, but there were also a few humans in the group. It didn't surprise Link that there were no Zora or Gorons in the crowd, even though he had seen a few in the city, because not only did they live a considerable distance from the city, but their reputed temperaments were unsuited to this kind of illicit activity. Sheikah, of course, couldn't get in, since the race served the Royal Family. Link didn't know what other races there might be, but none of them were represented in the group.

It was with no small amount of surprise that the disguised boy realized how varied in age the group was. He had expected to see people of his age and older, tapering off at middle-aged. Instead, there were fighters from pre-adolescence to white-haired old age. Just as varied were the weapons that the combatants brought with them. There were swords of many kinds, knives and daggers of styles both recognizable and exotic, axes, spears, pole-arms, ropes and nets, chains, scythes, and more unique weapons he had never seen before. The men, women, boys, and girls formed a throng of nearly two hundred by the time all had arrived; they did not all fit into the warehouse, so several other buildings were used as well.

Looking out into the audience, Link saw that there were at least four times as many viewers (most likely all bettors) as there were fighters. It boggled his mind that there could be a crowd of nearly one thousand all in this place, and that this crowd had no fear of getting caught. This might be a huge city, but ten hundred was not a small number by any standard, and they were out in the open air at night.

"Good thing they got good mages on this," one of the other fighters remarked. "I'd hate to see how fast this'd get shut down if there weren't a non-detection shield."

_What's he talking about, Aurora?_

_ Eh…he's saying there's some kind of magic making it hard for unwanted individuals to see this place,_ Aurora replied. _A magic repellent bubble that makes it unnoticeable. I figured that there was something like that here since there are so many people. But really, what I want to know is why little miss Princess wants to catch Lord Evil so bad. Even if he escaped, look at all these people who should be paying for their crimes! I don't know how many people live in this city, but this is a huge number of people for an area like this. You know, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the people here have teleported in from other cities and towns somehow._

_ I guess she just wants to make sure it stays shut down,_ Link proposed. _Either that, or she has a personal vendetta against Lord Emit._

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" a voice boomed across the area, causing everyone to fall silent. "On behalf of all the sponsors of tonight's event, I would like to thank you for your patronage! It is your interest, and the fighters' skill, that makes this possible! All bets for the first battle are on the table, now, so let's not waste a moment more! Welcome to the twentieth Blood Brawl!"

The crowd burst into applause. _I think I may be sick,_ Link commented. _Giving it a name like Blood Brawl?_

_Probably rather accurate,_ Aurora said sourly. _Remember, you have to keep going until the opportunity presents itself to make good on why you're really here. Don't go easy on your opponents or you could lose your head. The people who fight at these kinds of things are seasoned fighters._

_ I know. But I still won't kill if I can help it, regardless of what you say,_ Link responded.

"The first match-up has been chosen! The Snow Demon versus the Mountain Lion!"

The first two combatants ran onto the "stage." The Snow Demon was a hulking man with a huge black beard wearing thick white fur and wielding a large double-headed battleaxe. He raised his axe in one hand, his muscles bulging beneath the furs, demonstrating his strength. His opponent was a woman wearing brown leathers with gauntlets that had foot-long claws extending from them. She dropped into a crouch and bared her teeth in a feral grin.

At the sound of a whistle, the match began, and the crowd went wild, cheering for one or the other. It soon became apparent that while the Demon had an overwhelming strength advantage, the Lion was simply far too fast for him to hit. Twisting like the cat she named herself for, she nimbly dodged every swing and chop, jumping and flipping like an acrobat. Running circles around him to get at his back, she scored several deep gashes. He fought like a madman, but try as he might, he couldn't land a blow. Finally, she leapt on him from behind and tore down his back, blood flying through the night air. He stumbled forward, and she finished the job by cutting across his neck. He went down with a thud, never to rise again.

Another whistle announced the battle won, and she showed her bared teeth and bloody claws to the cheering crowd. Link leaned against the side of the building and closed his eyes, his heart pounding and his stomach upset.

_That's the reason we're here, Link_, Aurora reminded him gently. _To make sure that people can't get away with this kind of thing._

_I know,_ he replied heavily, _and that's the only thing keeping me from running away. I don't know if I can take this. She just _killed_ him, Aurora! Another living being! An equal life!_

"And tonight we'll switch things up! The winner will keep fighting until he or she has lost or has won five battles in a row! Then, once we're just left with winners, they'll finish by fighting until there's only one standing! So next up, Killer Lance!"

Link kept his eyes closed and wished he could shut out the cheers, the screams of pain, the battle cries and howls, the sound of metal on metal, and the sound of metal rending flesh as battle after battle occurred. Who won or lost wasn't his primary concern. Not every battle ended in death, but at least a third of them did. It was close to forty battles when the first non-adult entered the arena.

A twelve-year-old boy wielding short sword in one hand and a wooden pole in the other entered the ring to face off against a man wielding a wicked-looking double-ended sword with curved blades. Link's eyes widened in horror.

_Why is a child like that fighting? Farore, this is so wrong! Why do they let kids into this?_

_ Yet another reason we have to catch the bastard._

The whistle blew, and the two went at each other like wild dogs fighting over meat. It wasn't long before the pole was in pieces and the short sword was on the ground. The man smiled toothily as he raised his sword to run the boy through.

A blur of red and brown flew across the field and the ring of a sword clearing its sheath sounded. Sparks flew as the man's weapon collided with another, Aurora's silver steel unyielding against the notched metal of the fighter's sword. Link stood between the two fighters, his sword raised, with his left hand holding his other sword at his side. The interrupted fighter widened his eyes in surprise.

"What have we here?" the voice echoed as the crowd realized what had happened. "It seems one of the other challengers couldn't wait his turn! What should we do about this?"

The crowd's response was unintelligible due to the variety of replies. After a few seconds, the voice proclaimed, "It's just been decided that the fight will continue with the new combatant taking the place of the boy! This challenger's name is Forest Wolf!"

Link's opponent stepped back to prepare himself, but the Forest Wolf was furious. Like lightning, he fell on his foe, battering away at his enemy's weapon with the Sword of Souls while thrusting and slicing at any openings left in the foe's defenses. The fighter fell back, completely on the defensive, but he wasn't good enough. Link dropped to the ground and kicked his feet out from under him, immediately leaping up and stomping hard on the double-bladed sword. He leaned down into his opponent's face and hissed, "This is for trying to murder a kid!" before bashing him in the temple with Aurora's hilt, knocking him out.

"And it seems that Forest Wolf is the winner! That means our next fighter will be up against this furious young man! Place your bets! The next contestant is Old Soldier!"

A man wearing worn grey breastplate armor and a dented helm with grey hair showing from the under it holding a long sword in his right hand and a black circular shield on his left arm strode out onto the makeshift battlefield as Link knelt down beside the boy. The crowd shouted and more bets were made, but Link tuned out the noise as he spoke in gentle tones to the child.

"You shouldn't have come to this place," he admonished softly. "If you want to train yourself to fight, find someone willing to spar with you or practice alone, but don't come to fights like these. This is no place for anyone to be, least of all a child."

The boy glared at him defiantly as he stood and retrieved his sword and broken pole. "Just because I'm a boy don't mean I can't fight!"

"I never said it did, just that this kind of –"

"Shut up!" the boy protested and stomped off.

Link sighed as he stood to face his new opponent. The old man grinned.

"You look far too kind to be in a place like this," he said. "Why don't you run off with your tail a'twixt your legs while you still have the chance? I'm an ex-soldier, condemned to death for betraying the Knights and slaughtering my allies, only to get away through a loop-hole and some help from some truly _noble_ friends. You don't have a hope in hell of beating me."

_See?_ Aurora insisted. _See? This is why I'm saying you're too soft in combat. I bet you plan to let this guy live. But he deserves death. I wouldn't be surprised if those bandits were murderers too._

_We've been over this, Aurora. If I don't have to, I'm not going to kill. That's just the way it is._

_Bah._

"We'll see about that," Link said aloud, stepping into his ready stance. The whistle sounded, and the old man attacked.

The man charged forward, slashing in a downward diagonal from his upper right while bashing ahead with his shield. Link raised his left-hand blade to block the swipe and pivoted sideways on his left foot to avoid the shield, swinging the Sword of Souls downward to slice at the attacker's shield arm. However, the old man was ready for him, changing the direction of his charge and slamming full force into Link, driving him several feet backwards. Old Soldier disengaged his sword from the youth's by sliding in down off the tip and then reversed its direction to cut upward under Link's left arm. Link allowed himself to fall over backwards to avoid the blow, turning his fall into a backwards roll.

Old Soldier was, Link decided, every bit as good as old Falo (and about the same age), possibly better.

The man sliced downward at Link's rolling form, his blade glancing off the exposed steel of Link's own weapons. Abruptly, Link sprang up from the ground, Sword of Souls thrusting upward, while slicing at his opponent's legs with his other sword. The man slammed his sword point-first into the ground at his side, blocking Link's slice, and quickly brought his shield down to deter the thrust. Link grinned.

_I have you!_ he cried mentally, twisting his body counterclockwise and sliding Aurora's edge up to shield then altering its trajectory to stab downward behind the shield while using his turning momentum to slice at the man's left side with his left blade. The man's eyes widened as he lifted his shield up higher and attempted to turn to avoid the slice, but Link had the speed and agility provided by youth on his side, and the sword slammed into the man's armor, knocking him off balance. Spinning again, Link positioned himself behind his opponent and stabbed into weak points on the armor that covered the man's arms before shoving forward. The armor-clad fighter shouted in pain as the muscles on his upper arms were sliced through and then stumbled forward from the boy's shove.

_A dented helm might keep this from being lethal,_ Link thought triumphantly,_ but it won't protect you completely!_ The red-leathered lad jumped forward, hammering his weapons into both sides of his enemy's helmet. The man stumbled again, dazed, and Link rained blows on the head of his foe until he fell and didn't rise.

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Link bent down beside the man and placed his hand near the person's nose and mouth. "Thank the goddess," he sighed in relief. "He's still alive."

_What am I going to do with you?_ Aurora sighed, giving Link the impression that if she were projecting, she would be shaking her head.

"And the Forest Wolf handily defeats his opponent without receiving so much as a scratch!" the commentated blared. "That's two victories! Make sure you bet well, folks, because our next battle is coming right up! Will the canine defeat the bird of prey? The next challenger is …"

While bets were placed, men ran out and removed the bodies of those who had fallen in the last few battles. Link closed his eyes as he prepared himself for his next fight.

_What good is all this doing?_ he asked Aurora. _How is this helping us get closer to our goal?_

_Honestly? I don't know. But I've got a feeling that we'll recognize our chance when it comes._

Link defeated his next opponent, a woman in her thirties who used throwing knives, without major incident, though his jacket was shredded in many places and a few spots had blood beginning to ooze through. The hard part had been getting close to her and avoiding her accurate throws; once he was in range, a single blow to the side of the head with Aurora's flat side was enough to take her down.

When his fourth opponent, a fighter called Swift Death, stepped up before him, his stomach lurched uneasily. She was a girl perhaps two years younger than he was, wearing a suit similar in style to the Sheikah's but markedly different in pattern and color – it was all black. A black veil obscured her face. In her right hand, she clutched a long, thin dagger in a reverse grip.

"And this fighter is a favorite of one of our biggest sponsors! So keep that in mind as you decide who to put your money on!"

She dropped into a crouch as if preparing to spring, one leg just slightly behind the other, and held the dagger up in front of her face diagonally. _She's just a girl!_ Link groaned. _How can they do this?_

But Aurora had something else on her mind. _Link, don't let your guard down,_ she warned, her voice uneasy. _I've got a bad feeling about this. Something about her isn't right. We may have to pull out the stops and use my abilities, at the very least the lightning wreath. I know you've been holding back on using my power in order to keep up the disguise, but I don't like this._

Link blinked, momentarily jerked away from his own misgivings. _How do you mean?_

_I'm not sure,_ she replied evasively. _But remember – the first step toward becoming a true Blademaster is never underestimating your opponents._

The whistle pierced the air, and it became immediately clear that Aurora was right; something was wrong. The girl took off like a shot, closing the twenty foot gap between them in less than half a second, slashing in an upward diagonal from her right as she went. Backpedaling, Link blocked with the Sword of Souls, thinking to thrust out at her with his other sword, but before he could she had deflected it with her dagger and slashed again, this time in a downward diagonal from the other side. He barely had time to block the knife before she struck again from another angle. He rapidly found himself running backward, completely on the defensive. It was all he could do to block, despite having the advantage of two weapons. Her arm and blade blurred in the night, so swift were her movements.

_So fast! Aurora, she's as fast as you were when you beat me in our duel! How on earth is she so fast?_ Link thought frantically as he desperately blocked each blow, barely keeping up.

Aurora searched the memories of the previous souls of the Sword of Souls.

_The Blademaster pointed the Sword at the Black Wizard in challenge._

_ "I have come this far, and none of your armies have served to do more than slow me down, Magician!" he declared. "And now it will be your life that ends on this legendary blade!"_

_ The Black Wizard grinned and cackled, patting the shoulder of a single black-clad assassin at his side. "Oh," he said in his cracking voice, "I do not deny that you have great talent, nor that you carry the Sword of All Colors well. But if you truly wish to kill me," he laughed, "you will have to defeat my servant first."_

_ "Then sent him at me, vile Wizard! One more man will not be able to stop me!"_

_ "As you wish," cackled the Wizard, pointing a wrinkled finger at the assassin, causing a black wind the whirl around the fighter for an instant. "Go, defeat the so-called Fateweaver!" he cried. The Blademaster assumed his stance confidently. A moment later, however, he found himself on the defensive, the assassin moving faster than his eyes could see._

_ "Magic!" he cursed, redoubling his efforts._

Aurora spoke, _It's magic. Some kind of spell has been cast on her. _That's _why I felt uneasy – I could sense the magic. I don't know why I didn't recognize it._

_Well, what do I do about it?_

_Shut up and concentrate, for starters! Geez, you're so helpless._

"And what a spectacular performance this is!" cried the commentator. "The Forest Wolf is being pushed back! He's pinned down! He can't get an attack in! That's the Swift Death for you! Our special sponsor's favorite fighter won't lose this fight, because she's just getting started!"

As if that were a cue (and for all Link knew, it might have been), the girl's attack speed suddenly doubled. Abandoning all attempts to hold ground, Link put all his energy into avoiding attacks, his own blades flying as fast as he could make them as he jumped backward, twisting and turning to dodge the glinting blur. He cried out; he was suddenly sporting a gash across his chest. The pain caused him to slow ever so slightly, and he was thrown backward by three more rips, one horizontal one along each side and one running lengthwise down his left arm. As he struggled to keep himself afloat under the deluge of blows, his chest burst into a shower of blood by two more diagonal slashes forming an X. His pain-filled voice echoed, but was drowned out by the cheers of the crowd.

Link closed his eyes instinctively as he raised the Sword of Souls to parry the next attack. Time slowed, and Link could feel the blood that seemed ablaze coursing through and out of his body. His heart beat once. He had to block. The back of his left hand burned, and his faltering courage was bolstered, surging upward accompanied by a second heartbeat. He could not afford to lose. The hand gripping the Sword of Souls felt as though it were suddenly plunged into a cold pool of swirling energy, and for the second time, everything stopped.

*  
Location: Unknown  
Time: A single instant during the fight with Swift Death

Link opened his eyes again, this time unsurprised to find himself surrounded by intangible ever-changing colors. Unsurprised, but confused. Why had he returned to this strange place yet again? The last time it had happened, he had been following Aurora's instructions of being confident and reckless, trying to tap into her powers. This time, he had simply been trying to protect himself. His mental state was similar, to be sure, but the intent was different. What exactly was the connection that brought him to this place?

"And where _is_ this place?" he asked no one in particular. He made a step forward. The way parted, as it had last time, but what greeted him was an entirely different sight. He gasped.

There were sleeping bodies for as far as he could see in all directions but toward and behind himself. The slumbering people were of all shapes and sizes, all ages and genders. Some of them were younger than he was, some of them ancient beyond anything he had seen. Some were Hylians, some were humans, some were Zora, some were Gorons. There were other races, too, which he did not recognize. Those races which wore clothes had clothes off all kinds, and those which did not sometimes sported tattoos or other markings. He cautiously walked toward them, unsure of what to do.

He looked down at himself. He was once again wearing the green tunic, and he was complete and uninjured. He glanced to his weapons and discovered that only his left hand blade was present; the Sword of Souls was missing. Filing this away in his memory to mention to Aurora, he continued to slowly paced his way through the sleepers.

Suddenly, the bodies began to shift and change, shrinking and blurring, and in a whirl of color, they transformed into runes. Another burst of colors caused Link to blink, and when his eyes had opened, the three-tiered altar stood before him once more. This time, however, the letters and symbols that made up the unreadable names one the second level were glowing. He approached the altar, leaning forward curiously, the strangeness of the situation making his head spin as he tried to make sense of it. With a slight shock, he realized that only half the names were glowing – every other name shed light.

"Every other name…" His eyes fell on his and Aurora's names, neither of which were glowing. "Except for ours. Ours. A pair." His eyes narrowed in thought, then widened as something dawned on him. "One name glowing out of every pair…" His right hand felt at the empty space normally occupied by the Sword of Souls. "And in each pair…" he whispered, the fingers of his left hand brushing Aurora's name. "The name of a Soul of the Sword…and the name of a wielder." He scanned the names, noting their placing. "And the names that are glowing are those of the Souls. Those who were sleeping in eternal sleep."

He straightened abruptly, eyebrows as high as they could go to match his widened eyes.

"Am I _inside_ the Sword of Souls?"

The giant gem atop the altar crackled with inner electricity, bringing his mind back to the reason for which he presumed he must have come. Shaking himself to put the startling revelation at the back of his mind, he plunged his hand toward the stone. The instant it came in contact, he felt a blast of energy surge through his body as before, and he was encased in multicolored lightning, but this time the energy rebounded and bundled itself in his right hand. His eyes snapped shut.

*  
Location: Hyrule Castle City, an abandoned part of the city  
Time: Night of the sixty-third day of Summer (KAHII 35)

And they snapped open again. Aurora's blade crackled with rainbow lightning, and the fighter called Swift Death struggled in vain to free her dagger from its edge. The female combatant's weapon was stuck against the Sword of Souls, entangled by thin cords of lightning. The crowd gasped in shock, and Link did his best not to lose his concentration to his surprise. His right hand pulsed with energy, and he had the distinct impression that unlike last time, where the tap into Aurora's powers had resulted in a one-time attack, this time the effect would be continuous for as long as he maintained focus or until the energy in his hand ran out.

_What?_ cried the sword's spirit. _You called out the power of magnetism! How did you…?_

_ Never mind that now, Aurora. Keep focused! We still have to win this battle!_

Swift Death struggled valiantly to free her weapon, to no avail. Link gave a pained grin. "Looks like your luck's run out, miss."

He swung his left-hand sword, aiming the cross-hilt at her temple. Her eyes widened and she ducked under the blow, her hand still on her dagger. Her dragged her sideways by swinging Aurora to his right and tried again. Several times he tried to unbalance her and strike with his left-hand weapon's hilt, but each time she ducked, dodged, or twisted to avoid it, never letting go of her weapon.

_Why isn't she letting go?_ Link wondered.

_The speed magic! It must be tied to the knife rather than directly to her. If she lets go, she won't have the speed advantage any more. That must be why she's trying so hard to get the weapon loose._

_ In that case, I have an idea,_ Link replied with a grin. He jerked the Sword of Souls around some more and dropped his left sword.

_What are you doing?_ Aurora questioned, baffled at his behavior.

_This!_ he crowed, reaching into his bag and pulling out a Deku Nut. He screwed his eyes shut and threw it at the ground, leaning and swiping up his sword at the same time. He heard the girl shout with sudden pain and whacked her right wrist with the hilt of his sword, forcing her to let go. He jumped backwards and opened his eyes, resisting the urge to rub them. His opponent was stumbling backwards, clutching at her own eyes.

_Aurora,_ he said. _If we try, can we break the dagger by releasing all the energy into it?_

_ I'm not sure, _she replied delightedly, _so let's do it!_

With a short cry, he mentally shoved the energy from his hand down the sword and into the dagger. There was a sudden thunderclap, and the dagger fell to the ground in several pieces. Link's eyes lit up and his battle-grin spread across his face, the lightning around the Sword of Souls shifting into the wreath that accompanied the joint determined focus of the sword and her wielder.

The fifteen-year-old girl in her black stealth uniform stared with frightened eyes at the grin of her opponent as he stood there, preparing to attack. In her mind's eye, she saw the mad, blood-soaked grin of the serial-killer who had murdered her family.

_"You'll be next, little girl," he laughed, lifting the wicked curved sword that dripped her elder brother's blood. "My sword and me, we want to kill some more!"_

_ The door of the house burst open and several Hylian Knights charged into the room. He turned to face them. Knights they might have been, but with the sound of steel on steel and metal through bodies, all four lay dead on the floor in less than a minute. The murderer turned toward her once more, but the sound of more people coming stopped him._

_ "I'll find you again," he said, "and then you can join your family!"_

_ He whirled and fled out the door into the night. She slid to the floor, sobbing, and looked up only when the personal soldiers of the noble entered the house along with the noble himself. Lord Emit offered her a hand._

_ "If you come with me," he said consolingly, "I'll give you a chance at revenge."_

As Link ran toward her, blood pouring from his wounds, she could only continue staring. But when he neared, and she saw his shining eyes, a different face flashed before her.

_"And then I swung my sword, like so!" her brother said, swinging his arm wildly. She gave him a skeptical look._

_ "Okay, okay, I didn't really. I just watched the Captain do all the work," he admitted. His eyes lit up as he smiled. "But the Captain was so amazing! One day, I want to be that amazing to be able to protect everyone I love!" He turned his shining smile, which she loved so much, to her. "Especially you, Alex!"_

She stood completely still, not even trying to move, as he closed in and struck her on the head, hard enough to knock her out, but lighter than he had done for others he had fought. The light of his eyes, the grin on his face, and the lightning around his blade faded and disappeared as he dropped his weapons and caught her as she fell, setting her down gently. He knelt down, his knees weak from the blood loss.

"What an unexpected turnaround!" the commentator exclaimed. "The lord's favorite has lost to the fierce but soft-hearted Forest Wolf's sword magic! Who knew he had such a trick up his sleeve! And using a Deku Nut like that! Such innovation! Is he undefeatable? We'll soon find out! One more battle until he gets to rest, if he manages to survive! He's lost a lot of blood, but will that be enough to stop him? The next opponent is a young man called the Chained Claw!"

_Link, are you all right?_ Aurora asked in concern after he placed his hand on her sword. _You're bleeding all over the place. The cuts may be shallower than the ones you received against Skull Rider, but there are a lot more of them. You've been doing well so far, but if those injuries aren't treated…_

_ I know,_ he replied heavily. _But there's nothing we can…_ he trailed off as he registered what the officiator had said. _Lord's favorite? As in Lord Emit?_

_Quick, did the dagger have any kind of insignia on it?_ Aurora pressed.

_How should I know? It was too fast for me to tell! Besides, I'm not sure whether the hilt is still intact or not._ He pressed his left hand to his forehead. _Nayru, my head. I'm kind of woozy. I know that's not a good thing, but I can't do anything about –_

Link blinked in surprise at the red potion bottle being thrust in his face. He tilted his head to look up at the owner.

The person holding the bottle was a youth around Link's age, perhaps a year or two older. His dark brown hair, slightly shorter than Link's, was straight and unkempt, unlike the Ordon villager's wavy hair. His ears were rounded, identifying him as a human rather than a Hylian. He had an almost caramel tan. His features were rougher than Link's own, and they weren't helped by the semi-scowl on his face. He wore light brown clothing (a shirt and short pants) made of a lightweight fabric Link didn't recognize and a large brown cloak with tattered edges. On his right hand he wore a brown leather glove with a hollow cuff at its base. Through the loop made by the cuff ran a chain, which came out and wrapped itself between his middle and ring fingers much like the thongs of sandals do through toes, except the chain went down both his palm and the back of his hand, connecting to the loop. This section of chain was in turn attached to another, longer section of chain at least six feet long. At the end of that was a handle meant for a single hand which held a curved, scythe-like blade between a foot and a foot-and-a-half long. His left hand was stretched down, shoving the potion bottle in Link's face.

"Take it," the boy said abruptly in a strange accent Link had never heard before. "I don't want to fight someone who is half-dead already. It goes against my principles." Link blinked.

"Won't argue with that," he joked weakly, reaching for the open bottle and wrapping his hand around it. He put it to his mouth and tilted it back, gulping down the entire potion in several swallows before handing the bottle back to his opponent and taking a breath. "Thanks."

Like the last time he drank an entire potion at once, the pain vanished, though more slowly this time, as his wounds sealed and his blood was replenished by the magic. The feeling of refreshing warmth washed over his body, and, picking up his other sword, he stood, re-energized. Even the full force of the potion, however, didn't fully eliminate the wounds, and he guessed he would have thin scars. He flashed his benefactor a grin.

The human leaned close. "The bastard you want is up in the north-north-eastern corner of the stands," he whispered. "Let's take the battle over that direction. If either one of us gets the chance to nab him, we'll take it. Let's give these blood-thirsty hounds a show that cuts right through the crowd, Forest Wolf."

Link started. "You…know why I'm here?" he responded in a low voice.

The boy gave him a smirk, then placed the bottle into a pouch at his side.

The speaker's voice called out again, bringing Link's mind to the matter at hand. "It looks like the Chained Claw has taken pity on the Forest Wolf and given him a chance to fight at full power! This human man must be confident indeed! Make sure your wagers are placed for this fabulous fight!"

The two boys looked each other in the eyes, Link's piercing blue meeting the other's steady brown steadily. The Ordon native spread his legs apart, his right leg at an angle to the ground but unbent while his left leg bent at the knee, his foot facing outward rather than forward. He held the Sword of Souls out to his right with his arm unbent, parallel to his leg, and his other sword at his right at chest height with his arm bent at the elbow so that his forearm was perpendicular to his body, the blade angled slightly upward.

_Ready stance, type two,_ he thought to himself, allowing his face to slide into a grin. _I can tell that this boy is highly skilled just from looking at his eyes, even though his stance looks like a relaxed normal pose. I bet he's the kind who can attack without warning._

_ Yeah, that's my guess. So, do you trust him not to run you through or slice your head off? Because if you do, you need someone to smack you upside the head,_ Aurora noted idly. _Just because he _seems_ to have the same motives you do doesn't mean that he does, and even if he _does_, it doesn't mean he'll go easy on you._

_This is our chance, Aurora! We need to let him guide the fight. If we can get Emit now…_

_ I know, I know,_ Aurora ceded._ Just don't let your guard down._

At the sound of the whistle, the human youth launched his attack, his expression never altering from the slight-scowl that made him look as though he were mildly disapproving of something. He threw out the chained scythe and Link blocked with his hand-me-down sword. Even before the two blades connected, the cloaked boy jerked back with his arm and began swinging it in a complex pattern as he slowly walked forward. The scythe whipped around, striking out at Link from a variety of angles very rapidly as it was tugged by the motion of its chain. After blocking a few times with his left sword, Link straightened his stance and leaned back, swinging the Sword of Souls up diagonally to catch the chain.

The human allowed his scythe's chain to wrap around his opponent's sword and then sharply jerked, ripping Aurora out of Link's grasp. He whipped his hand forward, and the Sword of Souls flew through the air to land skittering on the ground some thirty feet behind Link. Meanwhile, Link had lunged forward with his left sword. The boy sidestepped, and when the Hylian altered his blade's trajectory to turn the thrust into a slice, a swift hand movement caused the chain of the scythe to whip down and wrap around that sword as well. The Chained Claw repeated the disarming and tossing away, and Link backpedaled quickly to avoid the next slice. He had to perform a backward hand spring to dodge, and the scythe narrowly missed, cutting through the air above him.

Link turned and ran headlong for his swords, his opponent following with fast steps while whirling the chained blade in complex movements. He dove to the ground, scooping up the swords, and rolled to his feet, continuing his run toward the corner of the arena his helpful fellow contestant had indicated. Upon reaching it, he spun around, his swords flashing in the torchlight that illuminated the area as he thrust and slashed from various angles, his arms moving in their trademark independent motions. For a while, the brown-clothed human stood up under the sudden assault, but after a few seconds he missed a strike and the Sword of Souls scored a shallow slash across his left shoulder.

_How could you let him disarm you? What the heck is wrong with you?_ Aurora berated Link.

_It was…well, if I said it was on purpose I'd be lying, but it worked out well. I'm sorry, I won't let go of you again._

_ You'd better not,_ she grumbled.

In the next moment, the battle-joy had swept over Link once again, and his grinning face was a sharp contrast to the stern countenance of his opponent. Not even the cut into his left arm by the scythe fazed him as the two continued the fight. The two appeared to be fairly evenly matched, though in reality neither one was able to fully display his ability because of two things: first, they did not wish to fatally injure each other. Second, neither was sure what the best way to fight against his opponent's style was, since neither had seen anything like it before. And of course, Link made no attempt to draw upon Aurora's powers; additionally, the power of the Triforce remained dormant, or at least the back of his hand did not feel hot.

Suddenly, the cloaked fighter shot the scythe straight forward, and Link leapt backward onto the lowest level of seating. The crowd gasped and those nearby screamed as Link allowed himself to be forced further and further up the stands. The watchers pushed fearfully into their neighbors in an attempt to get away from the battle that was no longer confined to the ground below. Link ducked under another arc, and then he attacked the chain from both directions with his swords as it flew over his head. The chain wrapped around them both, and he lunged up the stands mightily, bringing his swords down on them in a vertical chop that contained all his strength and a burning assistance from his golden tattoo as well as crackling rainbow lightning from the Sword of Souls. As he had planned, he catapulted his opponent several levels upward.

The brown-haired youth landed with a crash, knocking over those who had been too slow to get out of the way. The commentator screamed excitedly, but neither youth heard. They had managed to make their way two-thirds of the way up the stands, and Link had finally spotted Lord Emit. Abandoning all pretense, the two hastily freed their tangled weapons and charged the remaining distance to the top, swinging their weapons in all directions to clear a path.

Lord Emit's eyes widened in the realization that he'd been had. The covering around Link's face had started to fall off, and from this distance there was no mistaking the Forest Wolf. As soon as he recognized the face of the fighter as the one who had threatened him in the streets, he started shouting out commands, but by then it was too late. Whatever hidden soldiers were there to provide security for their lord never had the chance. The chain-scythe wrapped around the noble, pinning his arms to his sides, the blade itself coming to rest directly in front of his neck. Link slammed his swords into the man's clothes, pinning him to his seat. Immediately afterward he thrust his hands into his pouch and produced his bow and the Arrow of Light, fitting one to the other and pulling back, aiming directly at the night sky and letting the arrow fly as power rushed through it and its tip burst into a golden light.

The missile streaked through the air in a line of gold, causing everyone who had not already been running for their lives to stop still and stare. As it passed through a point some hundred feet above him, the sky suddenly cracked and the invisible barrier burst into what looked like shards of glass, raining down harmlessly on the attendees of the illegal event known as the Blood Brawl. Another two hundred feet, and the golden line suddenly exploded like a bomb, shining light like a miniature sun, causing everyone but Link to shield their eyes or be temporarily blinded.

This was the signal, and in the confusion that resulted, the vast segment of the Hylian Knights that Zelda had placed nearby easily took over. The spectators were nearly all captured, and those fighters who hadn't managed to flee before the arrival of the Knights were defeated by the element of surprise. As Lord Emit was roughly grabbed by the Knights, Link allowed himself a satisfied smile, which he saw mirrored on the face of his ally.

"Mission accomplished!"

**END CHAPTER NINE**

**COMING NEXT IN CHAPTER TEN: LEGACY**

Having caught Lord Emit, Link returns to the palace. The trial of the perpetrators takes place, and Link is called upon to prove that he is the Hero by drawing the Hero's Legacy. Meanwhile, a mysterious man visits the Chamber that holds the Master Sword.


	10. Legacy

**Notes: **Well, that was a longer chapter last time. Anyhow, in this chapter I think that those of you who have been waiting for the Master Sword will be happy to see that it finally gets its introduction! Enjoy!

**Previous Chapter Summary:** Arlon takes Link in secretly to meet with Princess Zelda, who asks Link to assist her in catching Lord Emit or obtaining evidence of his wrongdoing with the case of the illegal fighting ring by attending it as a fighter while in a disguise. After Aurora reminds Zelda that all the Princess can do with the Hero is ask for help, not gain his servitude, Link accepts the task. The fighting ring, called the Blood Brawl, sickens Link with its cruelty, and he fights to knock out his opponents while awaiting an opportunity. Unexpectedly tapping into Aurora's powers and visiting the strange location, which he suspects is inside the Sword of Souls, he defeats a black-garbed girl using an enchanted dagger that enhances her speed who is known as a favorite of Emit's. Then, a chain-scythe-wielding human boy assists him under the guise of combat in capturing Emit, whereupon Link fires the Arrow of Light into the sky, signaling the Knights to come break up the ring.

**CHAPTER TEN: Legacy**

Location: Hyrule Castle  
Time: Morning of the sixty-fourth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

"Avery," the human said, offering his hand to Link, who was once again in his own green clothing.

Link took the boy's hand and shook it. "Link," he replied. "Pleased to make your acquaintance at last." Avery's mouth twisted into a smirk.

"Likewise," he responded in his odd accent.

"Great," Aurora said, clapping her hands. "Now that you're introduced, how about acknowledging my presence, you scythe-using vagabond? I know you can see me. You've been studiously avoiding looking where I am."

With a slight annoyed twitch at the corner of his mouth, Avery turned his head and acknowledged Aurora with a nod. "Hello, Sword."

"I have a name! Aurora!" she protested. He briefly rolled his eyes. She narrowed her own. "Don't do that," she said.

"Yeah, please don't treat Aurora like that," Link interjected, causing his new acquaintance to raise an eyebrow.

"_You_ don't have any room to talk," the sword-girl said, leaning her face up toward Link's, causing him to blink and lean back in the fancy wooden chair he was sitting in. "You promised not to let go of me and then threw me!"

"I can't fire a bow at the same time as you're in my hand," he said mildly.

"You could have at least warned me!"

Avery propped one leg up on the other. "As amusing as it is to watch a swordsman argue with his weapon," he interrupted, "perhaps you should remember where you are." The companions turned as one to face him.

"What are you talking about?" they asked simultaneously.

"The fact that we are in the castle of Hyrule, waiting in a waiting room for audience with the Royal Princess of the same to be congratulated, presumably, on our assistance in the mass capture of many criminals, especially high-profile ones like this Lord Emert."

"Emit," Link corrected at the same time as the transparent girl standing beside him said, "Evil." The two shared a glance and grinned.

The room where the three of them awaited a meeting with Zelda was a fairly small room. The walls and carpeting were blue, as was the ceiling, and the only adornment were a few portraits along one wall and a half-dozen carved wooden seats with high, elaborately-designed backs. After the incident the previous night, they had been escorted to an inn (the same one where Link had stayed the previous few nights, funded by the Castle) and told to rest, and that they would be escorted to the castle the next morning. Link had been very tired, now that the battles were behind him, and after the two of them had shared a potion, they went to bed. As promised, they had been summoned to the palace in the morning, and they had finally gotten some time alone as they sat expectantly while the Princess handled some of the matters relevant to the previous night's case.

"So," Link said after a moment of silence, "Avery. Where are you from? Your accent is … different. Also, why were you there last night, and how did you know what was going on?"

Avery crossed his arms as he leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. "I'm a foreigner," he explained, "come from past the eastern borders of Hyrule. The name of my motherland is not important to me any longer. I have long since abandoned all my ties there. I came to this Hylian-ruled land of Hyrule three years ago, and have made my living here as a wandering mercenary, selling my skills with the scythe as a protector and guard to travelers.

"I came to the city two weeks past to pick up on the news from the other parts of the kingdom, since trouble had begun brewing where I was working. Once here, I saw you giving the Lord Emit a piece of your mind and decided you were interesting, so I followed you. From your rendezvous at the palace and subsequent actions, it was easy to determine where and what you were going to do, so I joined you. I have no love of vultures who see the blood of fighters as red money pouring out, nor did I like this Emit's display of his superiority over mere children any more than you did."

Avery opened his eyes and stared impassively at Link. "What about you, Link the Forest Wolf? I have told you my hailing and reasons, so now you tell me yours. Where do you come from? You are exceptionally skilled at fighting and use a strange style."

"Ordon. It's a small village – tiny, really – in the Hoklir Forest. My sister raised me, and I trained in swordsmanship and strategy with old Faro and Falo, both former Knights of Hyrule of some repute," he winked. "I developed my own style. I left early this summer –"

"You talk too much," Aurora said with a yawn. "You don't need to tell him your life's story."

"I wasn't going to!" Link denied.

The door opened, stopping the conversation, and a servant dressed in an expensive black suit came into the room and bowed.

"Her Royal Highness, Princess Zelda, will see you now."

*  
Location: A Prison Cell (Hyrule Palace)  
Time: Morning of the sixty-fourth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

Alexis, known alternatively as Alex or Lexi, sat in the darkness on the cold, uneven stone floor of her prison cell underneath the Palace of Hyrule. Even though it was summer up above, down in the dungeons it was chilly, even cold, and only the fact that her black faux-Sheikah suit was multi-layered kept her from shivering. The black-haired, green-eyed fifteen-year-old wrapped her arms around her legs. In the blackness, she could hear the sounds of other prisoners in nearby cells cursing and pounding the stone walls of their cells, occasionally rattling the metal bars of the doors. Only those with no surname and no merchant background to rely on were locked in the underground dungeon. The rich and noble had prettier, cushy holding cells above ground.

She wanted to believe that her lord and master, Raistler Emit, would free her. That he would come rescue her. But he had been arrested as well, and even if he hadn't, she knew that he wouldn't come for her. She had failed him, and she had not only failed him, but allowed his enchanted dagger to be shattered. He did not hold with failures, and he despised those who caused him to lose property. He had been her rescuer, her hope, her road to vengeance against the murderer who slaughtered her family, her salvation; and in return, she had learned to fight and to kill for him. A personal stealth killer, an assassin. Her hands were stained with the blood of others, and she had killed them willingly to pay her debt of gratitude. She had hardened her heart to the truth, that she was merely being used to pave the way to her master's success with the blood of those who stood in his way. And now, she was going to be tossed away, a casualty in his quest to absolve himself of his own sins in the eyes of others.

She shook her head. Even if they never found out about the murders she had performed on his behalf, for her participation in the Blood Brawl she was likely to remain incarcerated indefinitely, and that was if she were lucky. And even if they never found out about her crimes, _she_ knew them, and she knew that she deserved whatever punishment she received, and more. Left alone without a purpose, her excuses and reasons for washing her hands in the blood of others vanishing like smoke, she was left with no choice but to come to grips with the things she had done. She shook.

_It's just the cold_, she lied to herself. _It's only the cold. I haven't cried since the night my family was murdered five years ago. I don't cry anymore. What's done is done. I can't give life back to those I stole it from by shedding tears._

She sat in contemplative silence, wishing she could drive the thoughts from her mind. The sounds of the other prisoners kept her connected to the reality of her situation. She squinted her eyes and raised a hand to shade them when light suddenly flickered in the hall outside the cells. Someone had come down to them, carrying a torch. Whoever it was received the full oral force of the inmates' anger, but did not reply. She struggled not to close her eyes from the light that was blinding her when the torch-bearer stopped by her door. Her eyes were narrowed so much that she could scarcely make out the person.

"Come on, you're being brought upstairs," the figure said roughly, identifying him as a man and most likely a member of the Palace Guard or the Hylian Knights. "Come quietly and calmly, and I won't have to put you in chains."

She widened her eyes in surprise and immediately regretted it as light flooded into her dilated pupils, causing her to wince at the sudden pain (and hold back a cry). She climbed to her feet slowly as the guard opened her cell. He reached out and roughly grabbed her wrist with the hand that wasn't carrying the torch, tightening his grip painfully as he dragged her past the other prisoners and toward the stairs. She kept quiet, her mind spinning as she tried to figure out what was going on. Lord Emit couldn't have spoken for her, could he?

The guard led her up stairs and through hallways, and after the long trip she found herself standing in a large room – at least 150 feet long and wide and some twenty feet high – in which there were a row of small chairs about 30 feet from the wall with the door facing the opposite wall and several rows of large chairs and long tables along the other three walls facing the center of the room, where a single small chair stood alone. The row of small chairs was empty but for Lord Emit, the man with whom Emit's primarily dealings had been done, and a number of other lesser nobles, all of whom Alexis recognized as having participated with the Blood Brawl. All of the large chairs were filled by politicians, which included, among others, all of the Heads of all the noble Houses and a large majority of the other nobles as well. All the chairs, that is, she noticed with surprise, except four – one particularly ornate chair held a man whom she could only assume was King Armin, at another the Princess Zelda, and in two more ordinary chairs nearby, two teenage boys – one of whom she strongly suspected was the one who had beat her in the Blood Brawl. Why was he here instead of down below?

The guard pushed her into one of the small chairs and stood next to it at attention. Alexis turned to catch Lord Emit's eye, but he completely ignored her, confirming for her that he had not been the one who had been behind her release. Someone cleared his throat, and the room became completely silent. All eyes turned to face the King as he leaned forward on the long table in front of him. His golden crown filled with its variety of rare gemstones glittered atop his head of graying hair. His thick arms folded over on each other, the purple sleeves splaying across the wood, and he flattened his large hands against the surface, his enormous signet ring displaying prominently among the several others he wore. His lined countenance, while showing signs of his physical unfitness and making him appear years older than his mid-fifties, also gave the impression that he was a man of power and authority with the way he held his stern gaze.

"All of you," he began in a voice that served to confirm his power, "are accused of violation of numerous laws protecting the life and well-being of the people of Hyrule. It has come to our attention that there has been an illegal event called the "Blood Brawl" being held with the knowledge and support of those present. All who sit before us were caught at the scene of the most recent "Blood Brawl," attending this unlawful fighting arena. You stand accused of multiple crimes, including withholding knowledge of illegal activity, gambling on the undisciplined life-and-death battles of this "Blood Brawl," participating in the organization, funding, and support of an illegal fighting event, and aiding others in participating in this illegal fighting, among others. Your crimes have resulted in the death of many individuals, for which, if you are found guilty, you will be held accountable." He leaned back and looked to Zelda. She stood and spoke, her voice steel.

"The two individuals who stand accused of formulating the idea and supplying tools, supplies, and monetary needs to perform the actual organization and running of the so-called "Blood Brawl" are here identified as Tiedrich, a merchant whose knowledge and connections allowed for the supplying of tools and locations for the event, and Lord Raistler Emit, Head of House Emit, a nobleman whose treasury supplied Tiedrich with the monetary requirements for setting up the event. It is also noted that both Tiedrich and Lord Emit stand accused of directly supplying fighters from among acquaintances and servants to participate in the "Blood Brawl." Tiedrich, come to the Questioning Seat."

The man who had worked with Emit stood and strode almost defiantly to the seat in the center of the room, sitting down slowly, staring directly at the King and Princess.

"What have you to say?" the King asked in a tone that allowed no disobedience. "Do you deny these allegations?"

Tiedrich looked around the room briefly, taking in the expressions of those watching, attempting to determine his chances. The faces were mostly impassive, but those that weren't had clearly already decided that he was guilty. Turning back to the King, he answered, "I do not deny that I assisted Lord Emit with his command to aid him in the creation of the Blood Brawl," he said. "He threatened my life were I to refuse or go to other authorities."

"That's a lie!" snarled Emit from his seat. "I never had anything to do with it!"

"Silence, Lord Emit," commanded the King, and Emit ground his teeth but did not continue. The King addressed Tiedrich, "You say that under fear for your life, you obeyed Lord Emit's orders and created an organization that lead to the deaths and permanent crippling of hundreds of men, women, and children without even one attempt to contact others?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Despite your numerous contacts and not inconsiderable personal fortune?"

There was a short, half-second pause, and then, "Yes, Your Majesty. Lord Emit is rumored to have skilled assassins and excellent spies. I was afraid that I would be found out."

The King gazed at him with a penetrating grey-eyed stare. Tiedrich quailed inwardly, but he did not allow his own staid expression to alter. Finally, Armin said, "Do any of the others present to judge have questions of their own?"

None did. He had admitted to his guilt, and that was enough.

"Then Lord Emit, replace Tiedrich in the Seat of Questioning," Zelda ordered.

Tiedrich stood and walked unflinchingly back to his original place as Emit rose and paced up to the central chair. He sat down hard, his face barely under control, hints of the fierce snarl he was holding back still visible.

"What do you have to say? Do you deny these allegations?"

"Yes, I do!" Emit answered angrily, almost shouting. "I was framed for this whole affair! I had nothing to do with this "Blood Brawl," nor this "Tiedrich" merchant! I am innocent of this! This is merely an attempt by my enemies to remove me from my position as the Head of House Emit!" He pointed at the green-clad boy seated near Zelda. "He's responsible! He threatened my life and then he brought me to that abominable arena!"

"That is absolute nonsense," Zelda responded, her voice cold with repressed anger. "He was sent to the Blood Brawl by me to ensure that the ones responsible for the crime did not escape." She paused and stared down at him. "Unless you are suggesting that _I_ am the one attempting to discredit you, your accusations of him are baseless." She looked around the room pointedly and then seated herself.

Emit's face twitched angrily. _So it _was_ her!_ he thought furiously. _The execution was too perfect for it to have been anyone else! But if I accuse her here…I may lose any chance I have at getting out of this._ "But he participated!" he howled. "Ask these others! If he were truly working for you, would he have done that?"

"I'm _quite_ aware of Sir Link's activities," she said coldly, surprising everyone with her use of the title. "And would like to note that he entered quite reluctantly and only at my insistence. I felt that it offered the best opportunity for catching the culprits unawares. Let it also be known that while this "Blood Brawl" was a rules-free, lethal tournament, every opponent that he was forced to fight he knocked unconscious with nonlethal attacks, save the last, who assisted him in your apprehension," she added, gesturing toward the brown-clothed human youth.

"That's just what he told you!" Emit vehemently denied. "You have nothing but his word to go on! There is nothing but that boy's word that I was even there before he kidnapped me!"

A short bark of laughter drew the room's attention to the head table where the King, the Princess, and the Heads of the twelve noble Houses sat (including a young man with House Emit's colors, a cousin of Lord Emit's who was next in line for Head). The youthful orange-haired Lord Damien shook his head, an incredulous grin on his face.

"Kidnapped you?" he asked. "You expect me to believe that this mere _boy_ was able to kidnap you?" He shook his head. "I know you well enough to be aware of the numerous precautions you have against back-stabbing from the rest of us. You have your own personal soldiers, like all the noble Twelve, but you also have a separate personal guard and a veritable army of spies and watchmen. Even _if_ you were alone in the streets yesterday and the boy _somehow_ managed to capture you, it would have taken less than an hour for your men to find and free you. You were found in the middle of the _night_. What _possible_ reason could there be for you to have been wandering the streets in the dark?"

Several of the other nobles were nodding, realizing the sense of what the young Head of the House Damien said. Others looked thoughtful, considering his words. Only those who Emit was sure would vote for his innocence regardless were unaffected by the speech.

"Is it wrong that I feel the need to stroll through the streets of our fair city to admire her in her silence every once in a while?" demanded Emit, his displayed emotion shifting from anger to hurt.

"Completely alone," added Damien. "Without your usual entourage."

"I have my right to solitude!"

"This is going nowhere…" muttered Zelda under her breath. "A servant of yours was caught having battled at the event," she said aloud, diverting the conversation.

"Impossible," he declared. Zelda made a small gesture and the guard standing by Alexis grabbed her wrist and made her stand.

"Bring the girl forward," commanded the Princess.

Alexis was marched up to stand beside Emit. The guard let go of her arm. She glanced around the room with trepidation before looking down at her seated master. He completely ignored her, all trace of recognition expertly hidden.

"This girl was found lying unconscious in the battle ring," Zelda informed everyone. "She was one of Sir Link's opponents." She reached under the table and brought up the hilt of the shattered dagger, the emblem of House Emit clearly visible in the light. "This was nearby. As you can see, it bears the sign of Emit's House. Sir Link has affirmed that this girl did, in fact, use this weapon against him." She looked at Alexis. "What is your name?"

Lexi glanced down at Emit, who was still ignoring her, his eyes on Zelda. She answered hesitantly, "Alexis, Your Majesty." She curtsied, trembling. _Why am I so afraid? There's no way out of this for me. I'm going to die regardless of what happens._

"Are you a servant to House Emit?" the aqua-eyed woman continued.

"Y-Yes."

"I've never seen this child before in my life," Emit interrupted, attempting to keep his voice calm. It wouldn't do to make this part emotional; that would make things suspicious.

Zelda ignored him. "How long have you been in service?"

"F-five years, Your Majesty."

"Do you acknowledge you were at the event last night, fighting by Lord Emit's orders?"

She glanced down at Emit again before saying, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Damien spoke. "Forgive my interruption, but you're just a girl, miss Alexis," he said curiously. "What do you do in your service to Lord Emit, apart from participating in illicit fighting tournaments?"

This time, Alexis shook, her expression pained and filled with regret, and she looked down at the floor. _I can't cry anymore. I made myself incapable,_ she told herself. _So why do I feel like my eyes are holding back tears?_

"I…I'm an assassin," she admitted, and the seated crowd made a variety of noises. Some were surprised, others disbelieving, still others amused, and even more acknowledging that it was ludicrous. "I…I'm not proud of it," she continued, and the room fell silent again. She looked up, pleadingly. "My family was murdered," she said, feeling the sudden need to unburden herself. "And my Lord Emit took me in. He…he promised me revenge. He had me trained," she went on, looking around the room. "He had me trained in stealth and in combat. In ways to kill. He helped me find the murderer. I avenged my family. But I had a debt of gratitude to him that I could never repay! I vowed to serve him, to perform whatever tasks he set before me. I…I buried my heart and killed for him! But I…can never rid myself of my brother's smiling face," she added, the tears finally breaking through. "I know he never would have approved. He was a Knight of Hyrule, protector of the people. And when I think about the blood on my hands… I…"

"This is absolute nonsense," Emit snorted. "Does anyone here really believe this crying _girl_ is capable of murdering someone in cold blood? Does anyone here really believe that I would use a mere child as an assassin? Baseless rumors aside, I do not use assassins. I am not that kind of man. This is a ridiculous farce. If it is necessary to stoop to such levels to prove my guilt, then is it not obvious that I am not guilty?"

"I think," said a calm, almost mocking voice, "that we are sidetracked. We have yet to receive answer for the main witness's credibility – this boy that the Princess has supposedly used to catch the criminals." Lord Yael's face was almost a smirk. "I don't believe any of us know this 'Sir Link,'" he said. "Perhaps the Princess would enlighten us?"

This got a reaction. Every head (save the King's, Link's, and Avery's) turned to face the Princess, clearly expressing the same reservations. Zelda took a breath. The entire case hinged on whether what she was planning worked or not.

"Link," she said slowly without further hesitation, "remove your glove." The eyes of the nobles and politicians slid from Zelda to Link. He carefully pulled on the fingers of his glove and then slid it off. Some of those nearby gasped in shock. "Show them your hand." The Hero lifted his left hand and displayed the glittering golden tattoo. Many more people now echoed the gasp; most of them recognized the sacred artifact for what it was, the Triforce, and those who didn't still knew that it was part of the Royal Insignia.

"Link has been chosen by the goddesses," she declared, "to carry a fragment of their power, the Triforce. The legends passed down from antiquity say that when Hyrule faces danger, the goddesses will choose a Hero to house their power, and that Hero will be garbed in green as each Hero before him back to the very first Hero. The tales of danger outside these city walls – surely you have heard them. Some of you may have also heard the rumors of a curse that had befallen Lon Lon Village; that curse was broken by Link! Sergeant Hawke of the Hylian Knights has given his word that Link single-handedly defeated more than half the Kargaroks that attacked Napils a few weeks ago." She fell silent suddenly, looking around the room confidently.

After a moment of awed silence, Laxus suggested, "The legends also say that the Hero is the only one who can wield the Sacred Weapon, the Blade of Evil's Bane, the Royal Relic, the Hero's Legacy: the Master Sword. We could dispel all doubts as to his authenticity as the new Hero if he were able to draw the weapon from its ancient pedestal. It will suffer the touch of no evil man, and it will not allow any but the chosen Hero to withdraw it from its stone."

There was a murmur of assent from the people. Inwardly, Zelda winced. She had hoped it would not come to this. She had no doubt that the boy was the Hero, but who knew what would happen when the Sword was removed from the pedestal? If the legends were to be believed, it would bestow a final blessing on the Hero, giving him a unique power. However, there were also legends that said the drawing of the Master Sword foretold the coming of even greater perils. It was not something she had wanted to risk. However, it appeared now that she had no choice. She glanced at her father, who stood.

"We cannot take everyone to the Chamber of the Light, so only the Heads of the twelve noble Houses may come with us. We will see with our own eyes whether this young man who has aided our daughter in bringing about justice is truly the Hero told of in the legends." As one, Link, the Princess, and the Heads stood and turned to follow the King out of the room to travel to the Chamber of the Light, which resided in a far wing of the Palace. In that chamber, the Master Sword slept beside the Platform of Light.

The rest of the room fell silent. It would be at least an hour before the party returned. They might as well settle in.

*  
Location: The Chamber of the Light  
Time: Morning of the sixty-fourth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

Seated cross-legged upon the stone platform bearing the symbol of Light, the platform so similar in design to the one found in the forest, a clean-shaven man clad in a simple brown tunic meditated with his eyes closed. His tousled blond hair, his unlined face, his smooth yet toughened skin – all these things made the man appear to be much younger than he was. An observer would have guessed him to be in his twenties. Only his hands, which were calloused and worn, would have given any indication of the time and effort he had spent training with the sword, but they were covered by gloves. Across his back he wore an unadorned scabbard, in which rested a simple long sword, its hilt protruding over his left shoulder. On his waist belt a simple pouch was all that could be seen. The man's serene expression spoke volumes of his experiences, and told that he was yet un-jaded by the sights he had seen.

_So that is the situation, to the best of your knowledge, then?_ he spoke mentally to the unseen presence that filled the Chamber. _I see. It would seem that things are very grave indeed. In that case, I will remain in this time for now. He may need my help._

The presence assented. There was a long pause that stretched for several minutes. Then the presence assumed a voice and spoke to the man's mind.

_"You must depart. The Hero and others come."_

The man nodded. He slowly opened his pure blue eyes. In them, the courage and determination that were so foundational to his character were clearly visible. In them, the wisdom and knowledge that only comes with age betrayed that the man was not as young as he seemed. He quietly rose to his feet. For a moment, his beautiful eyes rested on the Master Sword, sitting in its pedestal in front of him. Then he reached into his pouch and withdrew a single instrument, a small blue ocarina. He lifted it to his lips and began to play.

The sweet, melodious sound, laced with power, echoed off the walls of the Chamber, and in a flash of light, he was gone.

*  
Link's first reaction upon stepping into the Chamber of the Light with the Royals and twelve noble families was one of awe. The spacious Chamber felt almost like a tiny temple, a place where only those with appropriate reverence were worthy to be. The symbol on the raised platform was unfamiliar, but given the nearly identical nature of the platform to the one in the forest, he guessed it must be the symbol of Light. It was all the boy could do to keep his mouth from hanging open at the simple, yet majestic room. He felt an awareness as if someone were watching him like a guardian would. When his eyes fell on the Master Sword, he stifled a startled cry.

_That's the sword that Dark Link has!_ he told Aurora. _Except that his is pitch black. I saw this one, this purple one with that golden mark, in my dreams!_

_Settle down, Link! Don't get over-excited. This is why you're here. Your dream led you to this place,_ she said. _But you know,_ she remarked with an element of awe evident in her own voice, _that's an amazing sword. I can tell just by looking at it. If there ever were a sword that rivaled me, that one is it. I can feel the sacred power of that blade – it, too, was forged by the goddesses' will._

Link could only do the mental equivalent of nod. It was just as beautiful as he had seen it to be in his dreams. He found the Sword of Souls to be more beautiful, to be sure, but there was an almost tangible feeling of _rightness_ about the Master Sword. It almost seemed to call him. The pull of destiny was indescribably strong. He walked in an almost dream-like trance toward the long sword. The others stood aside and watched him with expectant gazes.

The youth wrapped his left hand around the hilt of the sword, and the Triforce on the back glittered even more brightly. He felt as though he had just grasped a string connected to an unlimited power source. He paused. This was his sword by right. He was the Hero. Hadn't he been told that by the Sage of Forest six years ago? The enormity of his decision weighed on him. If he drew the blade, he would be bound to Hyrule as its guardian and protector. He, a mere seventeen-year-old, not yet even a man.

_Pull it out already!_ complained Aurora. She was still bitter about having to keep spirit inside the Sword of Souls so as not to attract attention from those at the trial who might be able to see her.

He pulled. The sword did not move. He struggled mightily, using all of his strength, focusing all of his will and determination. The back of his hand began to burn, and the Triforce blazed with a blinding light, causing the others to shield their eyes. When the light had faded, he was holding the Master Sword.

Suddenly, his right hand rocketed to Aurora's hilt of its own accord. The cloth covering her light fluttered to the ground as the Sword rang out of its sheath. The Triforce and the Master Sword both began to glow with a golden light, and the Sword of Souls wreathed itself in multicolored lightning. Link's eyes snapped shut without his input. His heart beat faster. His blood began to pound in his veins. His eyes flew open again, and the back of his _right_ hand burned. His glove flared up with a golden fire, and then vanished. He stared in amazement at his right hand. A strange symbol in rainbow colors had appeared. It looked like one of the characters he had seen in the tomb.

_Blades,_ Aurora read, astounded. _It says, Blades. Never in the history of the Sword of Souls has this happened._

"Blades," he echoed aloud, his own amazement evident in his voice.

_"And a new Hero is born; the Hero of Blades," _the presence in the Chamber said to itself. _"What, I wonder, will his fate be?"_ wondered Rauru, the timeless Sage, the Sage of Light.

**END CHAPTER TEN**

**COMING NEXT IN CHAPTER ELEVEN: DARK REVELATIONS**

The trial is over, and punishments have been laid out. Link spends his time practicing with his legendary swords, and discovers that he is not the most skilled man around. A double-agent works under cover for a dark, mysterious being. And a dark swordsman comes to Castle City with ill intent.


	11. First Character Compilation

**Notes:** THIS IS NOT A CHAPTER. SO, IF YOU JUST WANT TO KEEP READING THE STORY, CLICK AHEAD TO THE NEXT CHAPTER. Instead, this is a character compilation for named characters from chapters 1-10. It is my intention to have one of these every ten chapters or so. I'll always upload a chapter at the same time as I upload one of these.

If you have any suggestions for other layouts for character compilations, I'd be glad to hear them. Otherwise, I'll stick with "Name: Description" and alphabetical order.

**CHARACTER COMPILATION #1**

**Alexis**: A 15 year old Hylian girl with black hair and green eyes. She worked for Lord Emit as an assassin after being trained to do so and given revenge against the killer who murdered her family. Feels incredible guilt about the murders she committed on behalf of her lord. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 9.

**Alice**: A 26 year old Hylian woman with blond hair and blue eyes. She lives in Ordon and is Link's loving older sister who raised him from infancy. She works at the village store. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 1.

**Arlon**: A young brown-haired Sheikah who answers directly to Princess Zelda. Despite appearances, the two consider each other friends. He mainly deals with stealth situations. He was the one who introduced Link to Zelda. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 8.

**Arnie**: A large Hylian man who runs Arnie's Amazing Archery Activities, an archery game shop in Castle City. He was entrusted with the Arrow of Light to give to the one who could beat the "impossible" difficulty on the swinging targets. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 8.

**Aurora**: The current spirit of the Sword of Souls. She takes the form of a 19 year old girl with ever shifting colored hair and eyes. She loves combat and has a sense of humor that meshes nicely with Link's. She gets along very well with Link and cares about him deeply. Only those with exceptionally strong souls can see and hear her. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 5.

**Avery**: An 18 year old human boy from a foreign land with brown hair and brown eyes. He wields a scythe blade attached to a chain. He helped Link capture Lord Emit, and proved himself a skilled fighter in the process. He says that he wants to ignore Aurora even though he can see her. He works as a mercenary guard. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 9.

**Dark Link**: A black copy of Link with crimson eyes. He is an evil being who calls himself the Hero's Shade, the shade of the Hero of Time. Not much is known about him. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 1.

**Elise**: The woman who runs the store in Ordon. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 2.

**Fado**: An unranked Hylian Knight in his mid-thirties. Son of Falo, grandson of Faro. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 2.

**Falo**: A retired Captain of the Hylian Knights, 61. He trained Link in how to use a sword. Son of Faro, father of Fado. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 1.

**Faro**: A retired Vice-general of the Hylian Knights, 86. He taught strategy and tactics to Link. Father of Falo, grandfather of Fado. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 1.

**Great Deku Tree**: A massive tree who watches over the forest along with the Sage of Forest. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 2.

**John**: An apple merchant who lives in the Hoklir Forest. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 2.

**Katie**: A 10 year old neighbor of Link's in Ordon. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 2.

**King Armin Hyrule** **II**: The King of Hyrule, and father to Zelda. He is in his mid-fifties. He has begun phasing out his power and transferring it over to Zelda. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 10.

**Link**: A 17 year old blond-haired, blue-eyed swordsman from Ordon, and the main character of the story. He dual-wields the Sword of Souls and the Master Sword. He is a kind and compassionate person, but he also has a love of fighting. He has the Triforce of Courage and is the new Hero, the Hero of Blades. He wishes that he didn't need to rely on the Triforce so much. He knows that Hyrule is in danger, and he wants to help out. He has had several prophetic dreams. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 1.

**Lord Curlain**: Head of House Curlain. His house colors are gold and white. He is an older man. He thinks that Zelda is too condescending. Not much else is known about him. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 8.

**Lord Damien**: Head of House Damien. His house colors are orange and blue. He is not quite 20 and has orange hair. He is a staunch supporter of the family of Hyrule and of Princess Zelda, even though he often disagrees with her. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 8.

**Lord Emit**: Head of House Emit. His house colors are red and black. He is in his mid-thirties and has black hair. He absolutely despises Princess Zelda, and cares nothing for his duties as Lord, preferring to take advantage of his wealth for his own pleasures. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 8.

**Lord Mannel**: Head of House Mannel. His house colors are brown and gold. He is an elderly man. He would never betray the family of Hyrule and has a firm sense of honor, but he is often in disagreement with the Princess. Not much else is known about him. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 8.

**Lord Laxus**: Head of House Laxus. His house colors are black and white. He is a bald, middle-aged man. Like Damien, he is a firm and loyal supporter of the family of Hyrule and of Princess Zelda, despite his disagreements. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 8.

**Lord Snowe**: Head of House Snowe. His house colors are green and orange. He is a young, blond-haired man. He loves luxury and is frustrated by how strong-willed the Princess is. Not much else is known about him. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 8.

**Lord Yael**: Head of House Yael. His house colors are blue and violet. He is a brown-haired middle aged man. He is treasonous, and plans to do something unknown to Princess Zelda to force her to comply with his demands. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 8.

**Mick**: The captain of the Lon Lon Militia. He is neither a particularly brave man nor a coward, but he has a strong sense of duty. He runs the town in the lazy mayor's stead. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 4.

**Princess Zelda Hyrule**: The 25 year old blonde-haired, aqua-eyed Princess of Hyrule. She has a strong spirit and a forceful personality. Link doesn't like her because her regal and commanding attitude seems fake and in such contrast to the equality he has known all his life. She has taken on some of the burden of ruling the country. She has been known to have prophetic dreams on occasion. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 8.

**Rauru**: The Sage of Light, also known as the Timeless Sage. His domain is centered on the Chamber of the Light. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 10.

**Saria**: The Sage of Forest, also known as the Child Sage. Her domain is the Forest. She was once a Kokiri, but now lives on as a ghost. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 1.

**Sergeant Hawke**: A sergeant in the Hylian Knights whom Link met in Napils. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 3.

**Talon**: The lazy, overweight mayor of Lon Lon Village. Preferring to drink and sleep, he leaves the real work to the militia and the ranch hands. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 7.

**Tiedrich**: A wealthy merchant who helped Emit found and fund the Blood Brawl. _Initial Appearance:_ Chapter 8.

***  
A few concluding notes:** This compilation covers all characters who have been named so far (with the exception of that one girl who ran into Lord Emit in chapter eight). Not all of them are amazingly noteworthy, and some of them will be more important in the future than they currently are. When I make future compilations, I will include MAIN characters, new characters, and characters about whom more information has been revealed.

With regards to the Hylian Knights – I don't know if I'll ever write up the whole hierarchy or not in the story itself, so I'll present it to you here: 1 Commander (King or Princess), 1 General (strongest fighter, strong leader), 2 Vice-generals (second-strongest fighters, strong tacticians), 4 Majors (strong fighters, each command a subdivision of the Knights: the Palace Guard, the Border Guard, the City Guard, and the Peace-keepers), 20 Captains (good fighters, good leaders, 5 for each subdivision), 40 Lieutenants (good fighters, good tacticians, 2 for each Captain), and varying numbers of Sergeants (unit leaders, usually stronger fighters or better leaders than the unranked Knight), and the rest are unranked. At this point in the story, Link's fighting skill (not including using Aurora's abilities) falls about halfway between the upper half for Captain-level skill and the lower end of Major-level skill.

Additionally, I would just like to reassure you that while there are many things that have happened that may not yet make sense, and there are many things that will happen that won't make sense when they happen, all will eventually be explained. They aren't plot holes – they're holes that are going to be filled in with plot.


	12. Dark Revelations

**Notes:** The 10-chapter mark has been passed! Woot! Well, anyway, this chapter will hopefully be exciting and interesting, as an individual you haven't seen since chapter one returns! (Can you guess who?) The end of the chapter is a little confusing, I admit. Also, I will warn you: this chapter is darker and bloodier than the others so far. Enjoy!

**Previous Chapter Summary:** The day after the Blood Brawl, Link gets introduced to the mysterious fighter who helped him, Avery. The girl who had fought him in the tournament, imprisoned in the dungeons, is brought out to act as a witness in the trial that takes place, overseen by a multitude of nobles. To prove that he is the Hero, and therefore a trustworthy witness, Link goes to the Chamber of the Light and draws the Master Sword, which bestows a mark that means "blades" on his right hand, making him the Hero of Blades. Just prior to his arrival at the Chamber, a mysterious man spoke to Rauru, the Sage of Light, whose presence fills the Chamber.

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: Dark Revelations**

Location: Castle City Knight's Practice Grounds  
Time: Mid-day of the sixty-ninth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

"And that's enough for now," Link panted, leaning against the large tree beside him.

After it had become apparent that he was, in fact, the new Hero, the rest of the trial had gone relatively swiftly. Since Emit's defense had hinged entirely on the untrustworthiness of Link's testimony, and a substantial majority thought that being Hero and chosen by the goddesses was enough to make Link's words have weight, he was convicted of his crimes. It had then been simply a repetition of the process for every person accused of a crime, and not a single one was acquitted. The actual fighters and the low-born offenders, however, were simply left to rot until a second, smaller committee could be formed to judge them.

Lord Emit had been stripped of his title and position, which was handed to the next in line for Head, the cousin who had been present at the trial. Further, Emit was sentenced to prison for five years. Though he was no longer a noble, he had been at the time of sentencing, and those involved in giving the sentence were loath to judge any more harshly. The merchant Tiedrich had been sentenced to life imprisonment, even though his crimes were almost identical. The other nobles, who had fewer listed crimes, each received prison sentences of a few years and had to pay major fines, but were allowed to keep their status.

"You're so lazy," Aurora commented.

Link had spent the last four days (the trial and its aftermath, at least the aftermath for which he had to be present, had taken up the rest of the day) training non-stop with the Sword of Souls and the Master Sword. His hand-me-down blade was now inside his pouch and the Master Sword was in its place. His right glove, which had mysteriously vanished when he had drawn the Blade of Evil's Bane, had reappeared next to his left glove as if it had teleported, and so he now was wearing both once more. So far, the new mark did not appear to be doing anything but sitting there looking pretty, and even then hidden beneath his glove. He figured that it would probably behave like the Triforce and activate whenever it bleeping well felt like, which annoyed him to no end.

He had, while training, discussed the recent events with Aurora. He had discovered that the Arrow of Light was safe and sound in his pouch again, but one of his ordinary arrows was missing. Aurora suggested that perhaps the Arrow worked on a "replacement principle," which she explained as, "If you have a normal, non-magical version of the object, in this case a normal arrow, when you expend the magical object, it transfers its properties and appearance to one of the normal ones, making it appear as though they swapped places." Link thought that although it was a little strange, this made perfect sense and decided not to worry about it further.

When Link brought up the second trip to the land of swirling colors and confided his suspicions that it was inside the Sword of Souls, Aurora had at first been skeptical. The Sword of Souls was a _body_, she reasoned, not a _location_. None of the previous sword spirits had any memories relating to this colorful place, however, so she was at a loss to explain what it could be. But as Link's suspicion was strong, she eventually began to consider it as a possibility, wondering what on earth the significance of this might be.

Both swordsman and sword were severely disappointed by Raistler Emit's, now just Raistler's, sentence. On the plus side, Aurora pointed out, the man no longer had the power to be "Lord Evil." Link was also distressed that the fighters who had been caught were not going to be dealt with immediately. Aurora seemed to be fairly indifferent on the issue. And of course, both of them were extremely curious to find out what powers the Master Sword had and had granted Link.

"No," the dual-swordsman said after catching his breath, "just tired."

One thing that Link had learned early on after being granted permission to train where the Knights did was that in the big outside world of Hyrule, there were many things he had never seen or heard of before that others took for granted. For example, in the castle, there were numerous mages. Mages, those who could use magic directly (rather than through tools, like Link did with Aurora or the Arrow of Light), were very rare. Link knew that there were people who used magic, but he had no idea what they were like or what they could do. He quickly came to understand that there were dozens, if not hundreds, of different kinds of magic and subsequently stopped trying to understand it. What was relevant to his situation was that there were several cloths in the training area that had been enchanted to render the weapons they touched as harmless as if they were made of wood for a limited time (about an hour). This enabled Link to spar with the Sword of Souls and the Master Sword without holding back without worrying about killing people.

So Link had been practicing with his swords for four days, interspersing his training with bow practice at odd intervals. The majority of the other Knights he came in contact with were surprised at the stamina of the boy. Even Aurora, though she would never admit it to him, was impressed. But both he and she knew that he was close to his limit.

"You know," she said, "if you keep this up for too long you won't be able to fight when you have to. You don't have unlimited energy, Link."

"Yeah," he acknowledged, looking up at her as he slid down into a sitting position against the trunk of the tree, "I know. But I felt I needed to get a feel for wielding two swords of legend at the same time, you know?" He gave her a weary grin.

The transparent sword-girl crouched down beside him, looking at him seriously with her ever-shifting-colored eyes. Her hair fell over her shoulders. _She really is pretty,_ Link thought idly. _Really pretty_.

"You need to take care of yourself," she said in a slightly concerned tone. "I don't want you tiring yourself out so much that you die in a real battle. You look exhausted right now. You should call it quits for today."

A shadow fell over them, causing them to glance upward. A large, muscled, broad-shouldered man in his forties wearing the "Knight Leisure Suit," as the Knights jokingly referred to their practice uniforms, a shirt and pants set decked out in the blue, red, gold, and grey that made up the colors of the Knights with the insignia of the Royal Family on it, stood in front of them. He wore a leather cap with the symbol of the Lion, which Link recognized from Faro's old armor. His eyes widened. Unlike the Eagle, which marked low-to-mid ranking officers, the Lion denoted those of higher rank.

"You are Sir Link, kid?" the man said in a gruff voice. Link nodded.

"Yes, sir."

"I've been watching you these past few days, and I must say, you have talent," the balding man remarked. He eyed Link carefully. "Your style is unique. To divide the tasks between your hands like that you must have a keen mind. Where are you from?"

"Ordon, sir. I studied under Faro and Falo."

The officer nodded, as though he had expected that. "Good men, the both of them. I knew Falo before he retired and I've met the former Vice-general once. What did you study?"

"Swordsmanship under Falo, and strategy under Faro, sir."

The Knight gave the youth an appraising look. "Hm. Well, I can't comment on your strategic and tactical knowledge, but you seem to have learned most of the basics of fighting well. However," he paused. "Your technique is rough. You have a good innate grasp of what you are doing, but an opponent with similar intuition would be able to defeat you handily. Catch your breath for a moment, then meet me over there," he said, pointing over toward the center of the practice field. "I'll show you what I mean."

The man walked away, and Aurora stared after him. "Does that moron have no idea how worn out you are?" she asked indignantly. "You've gotten what, about five hours of sleep a night and spent all your waking hours training unless you're eating? For four straight days? What an inconsiderate little –"

"It's all right, Aurora," Link interrupted her. "I can handle one more sparring match. Besides, he's someone important. The Lion on his cap means he's a high-ranking officer, like a … a … well, I don't know the ranking system, but for all I know he could even be a Vice-general!"

"And a Vice-general is…?" Aurora questioned, unimpressed.

"The third highest ranking military officer in the country, after Commander, which is actually not really a military position, as it is held by the King or the Princess, and General," he explained. She raised an eyebrow.

"So because he's possibly some hotshot he has the right to try to break you when you're far below your best?" she demanded.

"Essentially, yes," Link said as he pushed himself to his feet. "You have to remember, these people expect me to be a shining example for them now. I may not have changed, but their expectations of me have." He breathed in deeply, steadying himself.

"I don't care what these people expect of you!" she burst out angrily. "You're what matters, not them! I – I just want you to be all right!"

He smiled at her. "Thank you, Aurora," he said softly. "You have no idea how much that means to me." She glared at him murderously.

"If it means so much to you," she growled, "then how about actually listening to me? As soon as you feel ready to walk again, you're going to head right over there anyway, aren't you?"

He sighed. "Oh, Aurora," he said. "After this one match, I'll take a long break, okay? I promise."

"You'd better not break your promise this time," she threatened.

"I won't."

*  
Five minutes later found Link standing in "Ready Stance Number Two" as he faced the high-ranking officer (whose name and rank he still didn't know) standing twenty feet away from him. The officer held a stylized hand-and-a-half sword in his right hand and wore a large Hylian Shield on his left arm. He stood with his back up straight, his shield out slightly to the side and his sword in a similar position on his other side, his knees slightly bent and placed in a slightly staggered position. A group of a couple dozen Knights had stopped to watch and were standing nearby. One of them had a whistle with which he was going to start the fight.

Aurora's spirit was once more housed inside her sword. _If things get too tough, there's no shame in forfeiting, _she told him, though she knew it would do no good. Link would never forfeit. It just wasn't in his character.

The whistle blew and Link charged toward his opponent.

The officer made no move to dodge. Instead, he drew his shield arm back slightly and shifted the angle of his sword. Just as Link approached him, he lashed out with his sword, meeting the Blade of Evil's Bane and driving it outward. At the same time, he bashed with his shield, catching the Sword of Souls; but rather than simply bashing forward, he altered the angle and forced Link's right arm outward. Link was forced to jump backwards to avoid the subsequent kick aimed at his stomach. The man wasted no time at all in closing the distance, thrusting with his sword. When Link moved to block by swinging the Master Sword inward and upward, the Knight easily altered the trajectory of his weapon and locked their blades at the hilt. At the same time, Link thrust the Sword of Souls inward at the man's left side, only to have it completely ignored as the man continued his forward movement and slammed body and shield into the boy while executing a forceful twist of the wrist and wrenching movement, disarming Link of the Master Sword.

_You really aren't up to this right now,_ Aurora said. _You shouldn't be doing this._

Link fell to the ground, changing his fall into a backward roll to escape. The man's charge carried him another step forward, but when Link tried to push up with a thrust from below, the man was ready for him, lowering his shield to block. Link slid his sword along up the man's shield, but before he had reached the top, the man shoved his shield roughly sideways, almost knocking Link off balance, and brought his sword in a horizontal swipe, connecting with Link's side despite his attempt to spin out of the way. The force of the blow knocked him to the ground once more. He rolled sideways and sprang to his feet, slashing diagonally downward toward his left with the Sword of Souls to counter his opponent's thrust, but the officer blocked the counter with his shield, and the thrust stabbed Link in the ribs. He flew sideways a few feet and landed hard on his back, his mind flashing to his spar with Fado. The man lowered his sword.

"As I said," he remarked, "someone with similar intuition will be able to defeat you. You probably would have lasted longer were you not so tired, but your chances of victory would have been the same. You must never get overconfident – as the Zora say, there's always a bigger fish."

Link rested for a moment on his back, his body aching. _Arrogant jerk,_ Aurora growled. _"Your chances of victory would have been the same." Hah. Put him in a battle against Skull Rider and see who wins!_

Inwardly, Link smiled. In the relatively short time they had known each other, they had certainly come to care about one another. He had never had such a good friend, unless one counted his sister Alice.

"Forgive my ignorance," Link said aloud, "but I do not know you. Might I have the pleasure of your name and rank?"

"Of course. I am Major Kirk Damien, of one of the branches of House Damien. In case you are unfamiliar with our ranks, I am one rank below Vice-general. I share the rank title with three others."

"I see. I suppose I still have a lot to learn," Link acknowledged as he finally pushed back to his feet. He bowed. "I hope to be able to spar with you again someday." He rubbed his ribs, wincing. "But not today. I'm a bit worn out from these past four days."

"Certainly. I would be pleased to teach you through experience how better to handle your swords," Kirk said, returning the bow.

"Then until we meet again," Link answered, walking over and retrieving the Master Sword.

"Until we meet again."

*  
Location: Castle City, a dark alley  
Time: Night of the sixty-ninth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

"…And that's the current situation," the cloaked figure said in a low voice to the shadows.

"I see…then all is proceeding as planned," a voice hissed from the shadows.

"Will…the Sword of Souls be problematic?" asked the figure.

"It is of no consequence," the hissing voice answered. "But he must be kept from fully realizing the power of the Sacred Sword."

"He has been training without rest for several days, and he has discovered nothing of its powers. I don't think that will be a problem."

The voice hissed in displeasure. "No, you must never underestimate the Triforce and the luck it bestows on its bearer."

A dark profile moved from outside the alley and stood in the entrance, blocking some of the light from the torches along the main road. The cloaked figure looked up in surprise, shifting its stance slightly to one that appeared relaxed, and the sound of chains rustled under the cloak. The hissing voice hissed again.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" the dark profile asked, his eyes gleaming red. He shifted his black hat with the ebony long sword he held in his left hand. He grinned, his evil expression almost invisible in the dark. "It looks like somebody's plotting to take my prey! Can't have that, now can we?" The shade laughed. The cloaked figure shivered involuntarily. Noticing, the black-clad being of darkness rattled the shield on his left arm, shaped so much like the Hylian shields the Knights use.

"Is the servant to the big bad villain afraid?" he mocked. "Afraid of me, the Hero's Shade? Afraid of Dark Link?" He howled with laughter. "What point is there in being afraid, little human? It's not as if you can affect anything!" He stepped forward, his eyes burning with a crimson light. "Let me show you why the Hero of Time was so revered! His shade will show you the power that you can't even imagine!"

The hissing voice spoke. "You are a fool, shade, if you think you can stand against me. You do not even know what I am."

"Me, the fool?" Dark Link laughed in disbelief. "You've gotta be kidding me! Who the hell do you think you are?"

"That," the hissing voice answered, "is none of your concern."

"Oh, I'll bet," mocked the shade. "I guess I'll just have to cut you up to find out! But first, little servant boy here needs to die, witnessing the power he so readily dismisses." He lunged.

The cloaked figure whipped his hand and a scythe attached to a chain flew out, wrapping around the black blade. He pulled to disarm the dark being, but the crimson-eyed man pulled harder. Swinging hard off to his left, the shade lifted the cloaked human off the ground and slammed him into the wall with enough force to cause the stones to crack. With a loud gasp of pain, the boy fell to the ground limply, and the cloak shifted, revealing the brown-haired Avery's face. Shaking the sword free of the chains, Dark Link stepped forward and raised his sword to finish him off.

"Cease!" hissed the voice. "Cease, or you will perish here and now!"

Dark Link's grin grew wider. "Shall I finish you first, then?" he asked. He turned toward where the voice had originated. He raised his sword again. The shadows shifted, and in sudden blur of movement something dark leapt onto the shade and knocked him to the ground. His crimson eyes widened with sudden recognition.

"How?..." he gasped. "How is this possible? Shouldn't you be with _that man?_ Isn't _he_ still behind the seals? How did you escape?"

"That is none of your concern," the voice hissed from on top of the shade. "Now leave before I am forced to destroy you!"

"Forced to…" the shade's eyes narrowed. "You may be strong, but you are not _that_ strong. You can no more kill me than I can kill you. As long as the counterparts are not destroyed, we can never be."

"The balance has been upset," the voice hissed. "There is no one suitable to host Wisdom yet found. Those things which were once certain are certain no longer."

The shade hesitated. "Then the Dark Princess yet sleeps," he said.

"And should I find her resting place, she will never wake," the voice said venomously. "Then the balance will truly be broken."

"Are you out of your damn mind?" cried Dark Link, shoving the hunched, black-cloaked man off of him. "We have no idea what will happen if you do that!" The shrouded figure reached out a knurled hand and pulled his cloak tighter.

"But we do know," he hissed, his voice's tone and pitch changing, becoming deeper and more foreboding, "that it will break the cycle that has continued since Ganondorf first touched the Triforce all those centuries ago. And that," he said, the transformation of his voice complete, "is all that I want."

Dark Link climbed to his feet, shaking his head. "You _are_ crazy!" he said vehemently. "I thought _I_ was the reckless one! Carnage I like, but if you destroy the balance, this world might actually be destroyed entirely! Then where would we be? Give me fear, give me blood, but I want the world to be around for me to play in." He snarled. "If I find the Dark Princess first, I'll do everything I damn well can to keep her alive." He whirled around to leave.

"And stay out of my business!" he yelled back. "Link is _mine!_ You hear me? He's _mine_, Agahnim! M-I-N-E! _Mine!_"

"Heh, heh, heh… Only if you kill him before I do, my sweet little shade."

*  
Location: Prison Cell Underneath the Castle  
Time: Early Morning of the seventieth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

_ Cold. Hot. Warm. Cool. Bright. Dark. Colorful. Dull. Loud. Quiet. Breezy. Still. Dry. Wet. Soft. Hard. Odiferous. Aromatic. Sweet. Bitter. The atmosphere is constantly changing. Where am I?_

_ Nothing makes any sense. I'm seeing so many images flash before my eyes. Images of Princesses. Images of Heroes wearing green. And an ominous image of a tall man, dark-skinned and red-haired, wearing a jewel upon his forehead. His eyes are red, like a demon's. I feel that perhaps he _is_ a demon. I can't see myself. I turn my head and raise my hands, but all I can see are these images. A forest, growing green, then decaying and dying. A mountain, rumbling softly and then spewing lava and ash down the side. A river running into a lake, beautiful and pristine, then polluted with black poison and blood. A silent graveyard, a peaceful town, which is then covered by a dark shadow and a feeling of death. Another mountain, this one full of snow, serene until a blizzard comes and blots out all life. A desert with a fortress, ordered and enduring, then broken down by a scorching wind that wails like vengeful spirits._

_ I try to cry out for help, for someone to tell what's going on. My voice catches in my throat, and all I can manage is a whisper. I reach forward, grasping for something constant. Another image wavers in front of me and stays in place this time, instead of vanishing like the rest. I can't tell where this place is, but there is a black-haired woman with a hauntingly beautiful black dress sleeping on what looks like a bed. Even in sleep, the lines on her face betray her cruel nature. I hear the sounds of fighting, and I know that this woman is in danger, and that I cannot let her die._

_ I turn again, at a loss for what to do, and I see the golden triangle of triangles, the sacred Triforce. Reflected in the golden surfaces are people. The top reflects the demonic man with red hair. One of the lower pieces displays the face of the Hero, the one they called Link at the trial. The third… I cannot make out whose appearance is in the third. It is blurry and indistinct. For some reason, I find this worrying._

_ What does all this mean? What am I supposed to do? Who should I turn to? Why do I see these things? Where am I? Someone, please help me! I try to call out again, but this time I can only manage a whimper. What's going on?_

_ Suddenly a black vortex sucks away all the images and sensations, and I find myself sitting alone in a sea of black. I can see myself now, dressed as I have been. The sense of confusion is gone, and so is the sense of purpose. I'm not supposed to be here. Someone dragged me away from the visions. Someone is trying to get inside my mind!_

_ I can feel it! It feels slimy, like a wet snake coated in mud. Insubstantial, invisible hands, cold as ice are trying to reach inside my head and heart. I'm under attack! This is not part of the other visions at all! This is…this is magic!_

_ I can't let anyone into my head! This dark, evil, powerful presence that's trying to violate me cannot get away with it! Back, whatever foul mage or wizard you are! Back! Get out of my mind!_

_ I'll shove you out! What? What is this … light? Where is it coming from? From me? No… someone else is interfering, fighting against the black magic with light magic. There's a calm presence in the light, but the black magician is stronger, and it's pushing the light back. I have to help! I can't let the light lose! But how?_

_ I can feel a power welling up in me. What is it? It feels… it feels like all the things I've ever loved. I can sense my brother's smile, my mother's embrace, my father's booming laugh. I can remember the happy times we shared together. All of my happy memories, all that I once – and still, I now realize – held dear. I spread out my hands and the power shines through them, suffusing the black in a purple light. Is this magic?_

_ The grip of the blackness is weakening. It's working! The golden light of the calm presence and my own purple light push back against it together, and it rapidly loses ground. It falls back…_

Alexis came awake with a sharp gasp. She shivered, even though her black clothing was damp with sweat. She wrapped her arms around herself, wide-eyed in the darkness.

"That was way too real," she murmured to herself. "That was … frightening."

*  
Location: Hyrule Castle, Zelda's Bedchamber  
Time: Morning of the seventieth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

The Princess finished dressing herself nervously. That had been a bad one. For years now, she couldn't remember exactly when it had started, she'd off and on had dreams that seemed prophetic in nature. Studying the legends, she had come to the conclusion that it must be her power as a descendant of the Seventh Sage. Alternatively, the power could have come from the Triforce, except for that fact that unlike Link, she wasn't a host to it. Actually, if she were honest with herself, she was confused and frustrated by that fact. If the legends were to be believed, every time a Hero had been chosen, a Princess had been marked as well. Why had she not received the Triforce of Wisdom as Link had obtained the Triforce of Courage?

She shook herself and ran a comb through her golden hair. The dream that she had just had had been worse than any of the others. Every corner of her kingdom was dead or dying. The people lay slaughtered in the streets. The very sun itself was dead and cold. It was the destruction, the un-creation, of the world.

As she finished styling her hair and applying her makeup, she turned toward the door. She would have to do something to rid herself of these fatalistic thoughts. It wouldn't do for a leader to be brooding over a dream instead of focusing on her duties. As she reached out for the doorknob, there was a knock on the other side of the door. Adjusting her expression to one of polite indifference, she opened the door.

Arlon leaned against the doorjamb, breathing heavily and clutching his right side. Zelda stifled a gasp as she took in his state. His outfit was ripped in numerous places, the largest gash on his right side, where he pressed his hand vainly to stem the crimson tide that poured out and onto the floor. The Sheikah ignored his myriad other injuries, including a stab wound in his left arm, his eyes slightly unfocused. His expression and breathing were ragged, and a small stream of blood was running from his mouth.

"Arlon!" Zelda cried. "What happened? No, wait while I fetch you a potion!" She moved to go past him to travel down the hall to where she hid her potions; the room where she had first met Link. He held up his bleeding left hand to stop her.

"No," he coughed. "This is…urgent. It's … Raistler. He's … in league… with some demon … that looks like … a black copy … of Link. The _thing_ … broke him out … out of jail. … They're both … running loose … in the palace. … If you go … without knowing … you might … be killed." He coughed again and started to fall, his limbs no longer able to support him. The Princess caught him and held him up, ignoring the blood that was now staining her light-blue dress. He looked up at her face, his eyes sliding in and out of focus.

"The demon… I think … that it's a … shade," he managed. "It said … something … about … instilling … the … the fear … of the Hero … of Time's … power. The legends … of the Sheikah … may … hold … the key … to …" he coughed again, blood coming out and covering his face. " … its identity." He went limp.

"Arlon! ARLON!" she screamed. "You can't be dead! I'll never forgive you if you're dead!" She set him down on the floor and dashed as fast as she could down the hall to the room with the potions. "You have to still be alive…" she said through her teeth as she ran.

Panting, she stopped before the door and pulled out the key from her pocket, quickly unlocking the room. She pulled the door open and dashed inside, turning to one of the treasure chests along the wall and placing her lips against the lock, the magic key to opening the chest. The lock clicked and the chest opened, revealing a stash of a dozen bottles, half filled with red potions and half filled with blue potions. She snatched one of each and slammed the chest, where it locked itself once more. She stood to exit the room and found herself face to face with the former Lord Emit.

"Well," he snarled with a grin that hinted at insanity, "if it isn't the damn brat herself!" He took a step toward her, his disheveled hair and beard framing his face in a frightening way. She backed slowly away from him.

"Thanks to you," he continued, his grin growing uglier, "my suit has been replaced with _this_." He plucked at the pure black prison outfit. "Because of a brat of a wench," he hissed, "who fancied herself better than the real nobles! Who fancied herself a champion of the peasants," he spat, "the dogs of the streets!"

_He's gone mad!_ Zelda realized fearfully. _He's completely insane!_

"And now," he added, his grin no longer simply hinting at insanity, "I'm here to get my revenge!" He lunged at her, but before he reached her a black blade exploded from his chest in a shower of blood, covering the royal heir's face in Raistler's red life. The blade retreated and Zelda stumbled backward, falling to a sitting position as she scrambled out of the way of the former lord's body as it fell.

"Well, well," said a mocking voice, "what do we have here?" Zelda gazed at the shade, who did indeed look like a black copy of Link, with horror. He waved his blood-covered ebony sword.

"Is that the Princess I espy? Yes, yes it is." He grinned, his eyes glowing. "Such a lovely damsel in distress, aren't you?" He laughed.

Zelda narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?" she demanded, expertly masking her fear. The shade looked slightly taken aback.

"Who am I? Well now, that's direct. I expected you to weep and wail for your Hero to come rescue you like a good little Princess." He shrugged. "Guess not. Oh, well. There goes some of my fun." He raised the black blade high, watching the blood drip off of it idly.

"Who are you?" she repeated.

"I? I am the Hero's Shade, lovely Princess of Hyrule, the shade of the Hero of Time. Surely," he said squinting at her suddenly, "the Royal Family of this nation of idiots can't have forgotten the Hero of Time?"

"Of course not!" she replied, sounding offended. In reality she was terrified, but she had trained her whole life to mask her emotions when it really mattered. Dark Link looked at her suspiciously.

"You don't look scared," he said, a note of skepticism in his voice. "You're bluffing. You're damn good at it," he admitted, "but you're bluffing." He gave an exaggerated sigh.

"You know, I really wish that Link were here," he said in a falsely wistful tone. "Or Link. Either one. Both of them would be so mad at me right now." He pretended to wipe away a tear. He paused, then burst into laughter. "Ah ha ha ha! What a joke! I'm Dark Link, so Link should be here to be mad at me! No, really," he said to Zelda, "Link would hate me for what I'm about to do."

"And what…what is that?" Zelda asked, her eyes widening slightly despite her attempts to keep a straight face.

"What is that? What is that?" Dark Link mocked. "Oh, come on! Use your head a little, distressing damsel! What the hell do you _think_ I'm planning to do? I freed this fool" – he gestured at Raistler with his sword – "so that he would lead me straight to you. Do you think that I'm just going to sit down and have a little tea party on his corpse? Is that what you think?"

Zelda remained silent. Dark Link freed his left hand from the black Hylian shield's straps and it shot out and picked up the young woman by her neck. "I asked you a question," he said darkly. "I don't like being ignored." He leaned his face into hers, staring into her aqua eyes with his crimson ones. "No…" he murmured. "It's not certain… It's there, but it's weak. Is there another heir? It's not like the family of Hyrule to be so…diluted." He let go of her, and she dropped the potions and massaged her throat, gasping for air.

"Perhaps my time would be better served if I looked on my own," he said to himself, ignoring the gasping Princess as though she weren't there. After a moment, he turned his head back to Zelda.

"Do you have a sister, or perhaps a cousin or something?" he asked.

_What is he asking me this for? I thought he was going to kill me! Why am I still alive?_

A blur of motion from behind Dark Link caused him to whip around instinctively, swinging his black sword with inhuman speed. A Sheikah uniform revealed that someone had come to aid the King's daughter. The one wearing the uniform was gripping a short sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. The black copy of the Master Sword was locked with the Sheikah's larger blade. The Sheikah slashed with the dagger, but Dark Link easily evaded it and lashed out with a backhanded slice. The Sheikah leapt backward, a small gash appearing across the fighter's stomach instead of the cut slicing the person in half. Now that there was more distance between them, Zelda could see who the Sheikah was.

"Sharla!" she gasped, then clutched her throat again. Arlon's sister was here!

"No time for words, Milady!" the Sheikan woman shouted, furiously parrying Dark Link's blows. "You must run! The Chamber of Light, go to – Agh! – to the Chamber of Light!"

Dark Link didn't even look like he was fighting seriously, and he had already pinned Sharla against the wall and was almost casually inflicting more wounds on her body.

"But Arlon –"

"My brother is not as vital to Hyrule as you are, Milady! Now go, flee!"

Zelda stared helplessly as the shade of the first and greatest of Hyrule's Heroes slowly whittled away at her servant's – and friend's – energy reserves. What good was being the Princess, the descendant of the Seventh Sage, if she couldn't even help her closest friends? So caught up in the situation was she that she didn't notice when someone entered through the open window behind her.

"Away from her, shade," Avery said coldly. The crimson-eyed shadow paused briefly in his assault to turn to look at the human youth. He smirked as he continued to keep the Sheikah pinned without even looking at her.

"You, huh? I thought you'd have learned your lesson already. It seems that shattering most of the bones in your body didn't have quite the … _impact_ … I would have expected." He snickered.

"I don't know what you are talking about, demon." Avery's chain scythe rustled as he shifted it in his hand. His face slipped into its customary semi-scowl. The next instant, he had leapt across the room, his scythe spinning rapidly through the air. Turning, Dark Link slammed his shield into Sharla, sandwiching her against the wall, and raised his sword to deflect the scythe. The weapons clanged against each other and Avery arced his around to strike from another angle almost before they touched.

Avery fought well, but his skill was no match for Dark Link's experience and speed. Dark Link released the brown-haired Sheikah and took the battle to the boy. Blocking blows with sword and shield alike, he quickly had the youth's back to the window. Zelda, who had been sitting in shock, found herself grabbed by Sharla and dragged out of the room at top speed.

"Run, Milady!" she cried, and all but threw her liege down the hallway.

Her fear finally getting the better of her, Zelda complied.

"Mission accomplished," Avery smirked. "Secure the Princess's survival."

"What the hell is your master playing at?" growled Dark Link, and he knocked Avery out the window. A short sword thudded into him from behind, and he stumbled forward after the boy, an irritated expression on his face. "Rule number four hundred and twelve," he said sarcastically as he fell, "never turn your back on a Sheikah."

His form blurred and shifted, and he was gone. Sharla looked down the wall, scanning for the boy who had saved her life. He was lying dazed on the ground far below, pushing himself up into a seated position.

"How did he survive that fall?" she wondered. She stared at the short sword, which was covered in what looked like black blood. Suddenly she straightened. "Arlon," she whispered, turned, grabbed the potions the Princess had dropped, and ran out of the room.

**END CHAPTER ELEVEN**

**COMING NEXT IN CHAPTER TWELVE: COMPLICATIONS**

Zelda meets with Rauru, the Sage of Light. Dark Link visits the Lost Woods. Zelda initiates procedures to formulate plans for the future… And Alexis is released from prison.


	13. Complications

**Note**: Welp, Chapter Twelve is finally here. Sorry for the weeklong break. A couple things played into it – one, I wanted to make sure that people had had time to read the chapters I had posted, and two, I've gone back and re-edited my previous 11 chapters (and compilation), fixing typos and grammatical mistakes and all that jazz. In the process, I changed the notes to the chapters and put "previous chapter summaries" and "coming next" segments in all the ones that didn't have them. Anyhow, as far as this chapter goes… even _more_ characters! And backstory! And stuff about Sages! And possible answers to some questions! Woohoo! *Ahem* Read, enjoy, review!

**Previous Chapter Summary**: After the trial, the result of which was the imprisonment and removal of nobility from Emit, Link spends the next four days practicing with his swords almost nonstop. Just as he is about to quit, Major Kirk Damien accosts him and easily defeats him in a sparring match, teaching Link that he has much more to learn. That night, Avery meets with a dark wizard called Agahnim and is attacked by Dark Link. The wizard and shade know each other, and discuss the fact that the Triforce of Wisdom has no host, leaving the situation unbalanced. They also mention a third individual called the Dark Princess. Alexis has a vision dream which is interrupted by a black magic attempt to infiltrate her mind. With Rauru's help, she discovers that she has magical ability and drives off the attacker. She is not the only one with unsettling dreams, however, as Princess Zelda has a dream of apocalyptic doom. The nightmare enters into reality when Dark Link attacks the castle and kills many people, including Arlon (yes, Arlon died. It is very sad.). He mutters something about the Princess having a sister or cousin before he is driven off by Avery and Sharla, Arlon's sister. Zelda flees to the Chamber of the Light.

**CHAPTER TWELVE: Complications**

Location: Chamber of the Light  
Time: Morning of the seventieth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

Zelda stumbled into the Chamber, panting. She had run hard in her flight to this sacred place. Only when she had reached the Light Platform did she stop and allow herself to collapse. Her bloodstained dress spread out across the cool stone, the red on blue standing out against the light and dark gray. Her hair, no longer neat and tidy, fell across her back and over her shoulders haphazardly as she placed her hands down on the timeless rock to keep herself from falling on her blood-spattered face.

"Why did this happen?" she asked helplessly. For the first time since her mother's death, she was truly lost. "What can I do?" Always so in control of herself and her situations, being suddenly ripped out of her comfort zone by a dark shadow of the Hero, with possibly two of her servants dead and one skilled fighter almost certainly killed had left her without any idea of how to move forward. Her mind swam in confusion.

_"Do not worry, Princess Zelda,"_ a strong, comforting voice said. She looked up, startled. She couldn't tell whether she had heard the voice with her ears or with her mind.

"Who's there?" she asked cautiously.

The presence that always filled the Chamber eddied, and she felt herself being lifted gently to her feet. An old man with white hair on the sides of his head wearing an orange robe was holding her shoulders and looking her kindly in the face.

_"It is I_,_"_ he said, the strange illusory quality to his voice never leaving, _"Rauru, the Sage of Light. I am the first of the Sages, and the guardian of this Chamber."_

She shook her head, uncomprehending. "Sage of Light? First of the Sages?"

Rauru looked at her with pity. _"You have been through much these past few hours," _he said sorrowfully, _"and I am afraid you will go through much more in the days to come. The Sheikah did well to bid you come here to me."_

Zelda struggled to make sense of the sentence. "Sharla knew about you?"

The old man nodded, letting go of Zelda's shoulders. _"The Sheikah know far more than you do, Princess Zelda,_" he revealed, _"and far more than they let on. They have known about my existence here for many long years, and it was for this reason that the Chamber was added to the Palace when it was rebuilt. I was to guard the castle and keep its inhabitants safe."_ He shook his head sadly. _"Unfortunately, my powers have grown weak with age, and it is all that I can do to keep vigil. I cannot drive away the dark plague that has attacked. Within this Chamber, none can touch you, but in the rest of the Palace, I have but small influence."_

"So that's why Sharla told me to come here? So I would be safe while the rest of the castle gets slaughtered by that…Dark Link?" Zelda protested, beginning to regain her forceful personality. "Slaughtered like Raistler?" Tears sprang to her eyes. "Slaughtered like Arlon?" She buried her face in her hands.

_"There are no judging eyes here, young Princess. Cry. Your heart longs to weep and mourn. There is no shame in grief. For all that you are, Zelda, you are still a young woman, not a goddess, and even the goddesses have shed tears. Cry."_ He smiled gently and patted her shoulder. She sank to her knees and cried. She cried for Arlon and Sharla. She cried for the human boy. She cried for herself. She cried in sadness, and she cried in fear. She cried in anxiety, and she cried in horror. She cried as she had never allowed herself to cry before.

What seemed like forever later, when her sobs had subsided, she wiped her face with her sleeve and looked up at Rauru.

_"Do you not feel better?"_ he asked.

"A little," she answered. "I'm still sad, and frightened. It is as if my dream is coming true." Seeing this provoke an inquiring look, she explained, "I had a dream last night that the world was being destroyed, both the land and its people."

_"Mm."_ Rauru was silent. Both immortal Sage and young descendent of a Sage long gone lost themselves in their respective thoughts.

It would be a long trial that Hyrule faced, Rauru knew, perhaps the most difficult one yet. But though the future's outcome was uncertain, for the sequence of events had already strayed from the cycle that had been repeated time and again, there were bright pinpricks of hope. Hyrule needed a Hero, and she had one. No, Rauru corrected himself, she had more than one. And he had a feeling that the Hero of Blades would not stand alone. In that youth he had sensed a compassionate idealism which bridled a battle-loving soul, much like the Hero of Time had once been.

But, he considered, there were things that even he did not understand about what was happening. The existence of the Hero's Shade he had known, and he thought he knew the identity of the black magician who had stolen into a young girl's dreams. But balance had been disrupted. The young girl who had been attacked was but a Hylian commoner; yet when he had acted to drive out the magician, she had fought alongside him with the powers of the Seventh Sage. Zelda, also, showed signs of the power of the Seventh Sage. There had to be more to this than he knew. And for reasons unexplained, the Triforce of Wisdom was still missing. And then there was the matter of the human boy called Avery. There was a sense of dark magic around him when he had fought Dark Link that there had not been the previous time he was within the castle walls.

The Timeless Sage, with all his light, could not penetrate the darkness that shrouded the mysteries of the present. He looked gravely at the heir to Hyrule's throne. It was at times like this that he wished the Sage of Spirit were still present to advise him, but Nabooru's place was in the desert, with her people.

The Sages. Rauru, the Timeless Sage, the Sage of Light, was the first of the Sages, awakened to his powers since long before the Hero of Time had appeared. This human had been blessed by the goddesses with power and an eternal existence in between life and the afterlife, and in return he had been given the duty of guarding the Sacred Realm. But he had failed, and the goddesses decided that one Sage was not enough. Forest, Fire, Water, Shadow, Spirit – these five had been added to assist in the guarding of Hyrule. The Hero of Time was tasked with awakening one chosen person of each race to these roles.

Saria, the Child Sage, the Sage of Forest, the Hero's childhood friend of the Kokiri, whose ghost still lingered in the mortal realm to guard and protect with childlike love.

Darunia, the Fighting Sage, the Sage of Fire, leader of the Gorons, who had become one with Death Mountain to fight for his people when his life left his mortal form.

Ruto, the Imperial Sage, the Sage of Water, the Princess of the Zora, whose powers she had chosen to leave behind in a place sacred to her people, for future generations to make use of in time of need.

Impa, the Watching Sage, the Sage of Shadow, who, loathe to let her knowledge be lost or distorted by the passage of time, used arts known only to the people she led, the Sheikah, to prolong her life; but as the centuries went by, eventually succumbed to the ravages of time, and spreading out her power among a select group of her people, left behind an order devoted to mastering her Sage powers and retaining her history.

Nabooru, the Guiding Sage, the Sage of Spirit, the rebellious second in command of the Gerudo who took over after Ganondorf's imprisonment behind the seals, who, like Saria, left her spirit in intangible form in the mortal realm when her body passed away so that she could continue to guide her people.

The Hylians, then, were the only race without a Sage, or so it appeared. But this was not truly so, for the goddesses had chosen a Seventh Sage. A Sage whose powers were over no one element, but encompassed many things. This was the Princess Zelda. Unlike the other Sages, she lived and died as any other member of her race, passing on her powers not through mystical means but through her bloodline. And so the blood of the Seventh Sage ran through the Royal Family of Hyrule up until the current time. And when the times called for Sages, one of her descendants would awaken to her powers as the new Seventh Sage. However, there were now two with the power, and one was a commoner.

Zelda, the current Princess of Hyrule, was not the only one confused by the current situation.

*  
Location: The Mazewood (The Lost Woods)  
Time: Morning of the seventieth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

The Deku Scrub shook itself. It stared down at the squirrel in front of it.

"I don't think you can understand me," it said in its strange voice, which sounded like a cross between a squeak and a honk. "But I have to tell someone. Bad things have been happening all summer here in the forest. So many of my fellow Scrubs have been acting all funny, turning brown-leaved and attacking anyone who comes close. I've seen big plants that grow on stalks that try to bite anything that moves. Some of the trees that were strong and healthy have started dying. Just last night I hid in my flower-pad when those big monster wolf-things ran by. They don't usually come out this direction." It breathed out its mouth hole in what must have been a sigh. "I just know something terrible is going to happen."

The squirrel cocked its head at the Deku Scrub. The Scrub sighed again.

"Maybe I should just leave the forest before things get worse. Who knows, I might be next to turn all strange." It shook its head. A twig cracked behind it and it whirled around.

"Ah…nothing like a stroll in the woods for relaxation," Dark Link said, breathing in. He leaned against a tree some twenty feet away, his jet sword and shield safely stowed. His crimson eyes were closed.

"I can feel it already," he murmured. "The seal is weakening. The seven seals that keep _that man_ locked away are starting to decay." He wrinkled his nose. "Stupid bastard. I wish that he'd just stay locked up for once." He opened his eyes and addressed the Deku Scrub as though it were a friend.

"I've been to Castle City, you know," he said amiably. "Big place, lots of people. I checked out the seal there, too. It's pretty weak. Both Forest and Light, huh?" He grinned. "Oh, I relish the thought of what dark turmoil the City will end up in. Already you can feel the corruption here. I'm sure it won't be long before it rears its head in the capital."

"Still," he pondered, "I don't understand what that damn magician is up to. Talking about stealing my prey, and killing the Dark Princess, then sending his lackey to _save_ Zelda. It doesn't make sense." He shrugged. "It's not like he ever made much sense to start with. Me," he directed his attention back to the quivering plant-creature, "I'm a simple man. Killing, blood, battle, blood, and just generally having a good time is all I really want. Not at all like that slimy shade of _that man_. He plans and plans and weaves his stupid little plots all over the place." He paused. "You don't know what I'm talking about, do you?"

The Deku Scrub shivered in fear. This black-clad man was evil. Very bad. Was this the end?

"N-no," it squeaked.

"That's because you are a plant. A tiny, insignificant plant." The shade started walking toward it. "But you know," he said, "you could be so much more. Would you like to be powerful?" he asked.

The squirrel had sidled up against the Scrub and was hiding behind it. The Deku Scrub shuddered and steeled itself. "No," it cried, and shot a Deku Nut out of its mouth at Dark Link, grabbed the squirrel, and plunged beneath the ground inside of its flower-pad. Dark Link stumbled back and rubbed his eyes.

"Well damn," he said in an impressed tone, "I didn't expect a little Scrub to stand up to me. Today's been full of surprises."

After a moment, he shrugged. "I should probably check on the other seals, but I don't have the patience for that," he said dismissively. "The whole Seventh Sage thing is bugging me, but I'll leave that for later. I'm gonna go search out the Dark Princess." He scowled. "Hopefully, I can find her before Agahnim does." In a whirl of black and a flash of light, he was gone.

The Deku Scrub cautiously raised itself out of the ground, setting the squirrel free. "Maybe – maybe I should go to the Sacred Place," it said. The squirrel looked it in the eyes. "Do you know where the Sacred Place is?" it asked the animal. The bushy-tailed rodent started walking. The Scrub sighed. "I hope you understood that," it muttered as it followed.

*  
Location: Hyrule Castle  
Time: Late Morning of the seventieth day of Summer (KAHII)

"What's the final tally of losses?" asked the Chief of the Palace Guard, Major Minerva Armstrong. Her stern expression and steady voice betrayed nothing of whatever emotions she might be feeling. Her bronze-colored chainmail armor bearing the Royal Emblem made _chink_ noises as she adjusted her posture slightly. Her short, wavy auburn hair was barely visible beneath her open-faced helm, upon which the golden Lion roared. She gazed at the Guard Captain with her hard, rust-colored eyes.

"Two Sergeants – Ular and Joshua, twenty-four unranked guardsmen, eight unranked standing Knights, and one Sheikah. Eyewitnesses say that all the fighting was done by the shade, ma'am. Emit – ah, Raistler, sorry – never raised a hand against the guards. Raistler was also killed, and according to her Royal Majesty, that was at the shade's hands as well." The Captain saluted, his hand next to the blue eagle on his helm.

"That many… thank you, Captain. You may go to the troops. If any of the men ask, the funeral will be held in two days' time." He saluted again, then turned sharply and walked off.

"All by a single shade… I guess they really are as powerful as the stories say," remarked Major Kirk, who stood beside the Guard Chief in the room that served as the Guardsmen's headquarters.

"And according to Her Majesty, the shade was driven off by two people, neither of whom was a member of the Guard or the Knights," Major Minerva said bitterly. "The quality of our fighters…ah," she amended, "I should not speak ill of the dead. I merely wish that our own had been able to stop the abomination before it reached the Princess."

"Understandably," Kirk nodded. "In all honesty, though, I'm surprised there weren't more casualties." His companion raised a questioning eyebrow. "The shade made it to the prison where Raistler was being incarcerated, not to mention came all the way through the Palace to the wing where the Princess lives. Shouldn't there have been more people in his way? From what I understand, there were only a handful of wounded, most everyone that was attacked was killed."

She pursed her lips. "I've been wondering about that too. It's worrying me. But none of the guards were reported missing, and all claim to have been at their posts. Even if we try to plot the shade's path, there are blank spaces it would have had to go through where guards were untouched and said guards reported not seeing it. There's fell magic involved here, I'm sure of it. I'm just not sure what to do about it. We can step up the guard, but that's only a bandage on the wound, not a solution."

"True. One other thing has been bothering me. Where was Sir Link during all of this? He's been staying in guest quarters here at the castle. Shouldn't he have noticed something was wrong? He strikes me as having remarkably good instincts. Something like this shouldn't have slipped past him."

Minerva shook her head. "I've already checked into that. Someone slipped him a sleeping potion; he didn't even wake up until after it was over."

Kirk blinked in surprise. "A sleeping potion? How did you find out about that?"

The armored woman sat on the edge of her desk. "It wasn't hard to deduce. I asked him about it as soon as we started trying to get things under control. He said that one of the servants, a young man, brought him a snack and a drink in the evening as he was about to go to sleep, claiming it was from Princess Zelda to commend him on his hard work. He said that as soon as he'd drunk about half the glass he was out. The man who went to fetch him corroborated the story; he reported a broken glass on the floor and a tray of partially eaten bread next to the bed." She bit her lip. "If we find the servant, I'm sure we'll get somewhere, but I have a feeling that we won't."

He shook his head and sighed. "And why do I feel like this is only the beginning?"

"Because it is," came Princess Zelda's voice from the doorway. Both of them looked up and immediately saluted. She walked up to them. She had changed and washed; there was no evidence of the blood that had been all over her earlier, nor was there any sign that she had been crying. Instead, she looked extremely determined.

"I have spoken with one of the ancient Sages, the Sage of Light," she continued, causing both of them to raise eyebrows in surprise, "and I have grave news. We are on the brink of catastrophe. In addition to the general troubles that face Hyrule, which will without a doubt continue to increase, there will be localized disaster in certain places around the kingdom. One of those places" – she pointed at the floor – "is right here, in Castle City. What form the disaster will take is unknown. But rest assured, it will happen. And if we are to keep damage to a minimum, we need to be prepared."

"But, Milady," Minerva began, "if we don't know the danger, how can we prepare? We can't be ready for every possibility."

"I have already begun formulating some ideas, which is why I came to you two, Majors. I've also contacted my economic and financial advisors as well as the public relations officials. I've sent a message to the twelve Houses; if all goes well, I should be meeting with them tomorrow. I want to have some plans on every front. Come, we need to discuss these things with the other military officials in the capital." She gestured for them to follow her and exited the room.

"That's Princess Zelda for you," Kirk said quietly. "Always on top of things."

"That's why the family of Hyrule has never been overthrown," Minerva replied as they left.

*  
Location: Chamber of the Light  
Time: Early Afternoon of the seventieth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

"Okay," Aurora said, holding up her transparent hands as if to stall something, "explain to me again, from the start, what this group of people is doing here."

"This group of people" referred to Link, Avery, Zelda, Kirk, Minerva, several other officers Link didn't recognize, three Sheikah, and Rauru. They were all sitting or standing around (or on, in Rauru's case) the Light Platform in the Chamber. Only Link, Avery, Zelda, and Rauru seemed able to see and hear Aurora.

"We are here to plan for the future of the Palace and the City's military defenses and peacekeeping forces," replied Zelda, keeping her impatience in check. It must have looked strange enough to be answering an invisible and inaudible spirit, but to appear to be annoyed by it would _not_ be appropriate.

"Right, right, and that would explain why all your military people are here," Aurora responded dismissively, waving a hand. "What that doesn't explain is why Link and I are here, or why Scythe-boy is here. Or heck, even why mister Shining Light Man is here. I still don't really understand this Sages thing anyway."

"Can we ignore the talking sword and get on with deliberations? This is a vitally important task," Avery cut in.

"Actually," Link said slowly, "I think she has a valid point. Why _are_ Avery and I here?" He looked expectantly at Zelda, but to his surprise, it was Rauru who answered.

_"You are here, young Link, because you are the Hero of Blades. You also, I believe, have stated that you have some knowledge of strategy."_

"But that was…that was only theoretical, hypothetical, it – it – it was in the form of a _game_, for the love of Nayru! I don't have any real, practical experience!" he protested. "Besides, we don't even know what we're planning _for_. An assault? An uprising? A mutiny within the ranks? No matter how we prepare for one, we'll leave ourselves undefended for another! Shouldn't the strategy be left to those better qualified?" he asked, gesturing to the Knights in the room.

_"You are right to be not overconfident in your ability, Link,"_ Rauru counseled, _"But you are mistaken to dismiss it entirely. Often, those with the least experience think up the most novel ideas. Some may be good, some may be bad, but if you are afraid to try those good thoughts, as few as they may be, will never have the opportunity to exist."_

Link had no answer to that, so he simply asked, "And Avery?"

_"Avery is here,"_ Rauru replied, _"because I asked that he be here. He, like Sharla,"_ – he pointed at the Sheikan woman – _"helped to drive the Hero's Shade away."_ _And_, he added to himself, _because I wish to explore the nature of the dark magic that surrounds him. It is a subtle magic, and so it has not been discovered by the Hylians. If I am able, I wish to divine its purpose without letting him become aware._

"And I guess you're the boss 'cause you're the Sage of Bright Flashy Things, right?" Aurora asked flippantly. Link frowned at her.

"We're being serious, Aurora. Try to understand that. I know it may be a difficult concept for you, but disrespectful jokes are not always appropriate."

"If you're quite done, Aurora, we would like to continue," Zelda said quickly.

"Oh, don't mind me, less than half of you can even tell I'm here," Aurora said, waving her hand pointlessly. She stuck her tongue out at one of the Knights. "See?"

Link sighed. "Please continue, Your Majesty," he said in resignation. "I don't think she's going to stop any time soon."

Over the next several hours, the group put together and tore apart and reconstructed and ripped down again numerous different plans for allocating people and resources for handling different kinds of situations. Link had been the one to suggest calling in more Sheikah from their home ground to the city for aid. All three of the Sheikah present had agreed that it was worth consideration and that they would send messages to their people. He was also the one who proposed entrusting certain servants to act as observers and report any suspicious behavior in the Palace to either one of the officers or Zelda, which had earned him a few raised eyebrows but was acknowledged as a good idea; they needed as many eyes as they could get to watch for trouble. Link's offered plans for how to handle placing the Knights in around the city were immediately shot down, however, as were several other ideas of his. Nearly everyone had at least one idea, including Avery, who simply said that they should make liberal use of the Palace mages for as many things as they could, especially detection of magical intrusion.

The other thing that happened over the next several hours was Rauru's thorough and subtle study of the magic that Avery carried with him. At first, it appeared as though the magic were merely some kind of shield that strengthened his bones' and muscles' resilience. Upon closer examination, however, Rauru discovered that its true purpose was something quite different. It allowed the caster to channel his power directly through the target, Avery, as well as see and hear anything that Avery did. This, of course, was something that could not be allowed, especially if the caster was who he thought it was. So, halfway through the deliberations, he had asked Avery to stand by him while the boy told of his fight with Dark Link (and very lucky survival). When the youth had finished, Rauru had placed a hand on his shoulder and told him he had done well, using the opportunity to channel his power into dispelling the enchantment. After a brief and invisible struggle, the black magic came undone, and the meeting continued.

"I believe that is enough for today," Zelda concluded, standing from her seated position. "It is nearly evening, and all of us have other duties to attend to."

The group arose, and all but Link, Avery, Zelda, and the Sheikah left. Zelda turned to Rauru.

"What is it, Sage of Light?" she asked.

_"I wish to ask a question of young Avery," _he replied.

Avery nodded. "Your question, Sage?"

_"…Have you encountered a wizard outside of the Palace, Avery, one with great magical skill?"_

Avery pondered the question_._

"I…have," he said at length.

_"I see. I am the Sage of Light, not the Sage of Spirit, but I believe that you have a strong heart. Be sure that its strength is not misguided and misused."_

Aurora looked between the two of them quizzically. Link raised an eyebrow. Zelda and the Sheikah appeared unfazed, and Avery merely allowed his customary semi-scowl to obscure his internal reaction. After a moment, they turned to leave.

_"There is one thing more,"_ Rauru said, "_about which I wish to speak to Princess Zelda alone."_

Avery continued out of the Chamber without pausing. Link glanced curiously back at Rauru before following. The Sheikah bowed and left Zelda alone with the Sage of Light.

"Is this about the powers of the Seventh Sage?" she asked hesitantly. Rauru nodded.

_"It is,"_ he confirmed.

*  
Location: Interior of Hyrule Palace, Link's bedchamber  
Time: Evening of the seventieth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

"But there's one thing I don't understand, Avery," Link expressed. "How did you know about Dark Link's attack?" He frowned. "I know that you snuck into the castle grounds and scaled the wall outside of Zelda's room; I assume you figured out where Zelda's room was sometime while you were in the Palace earlier. And I can understand that your first impression would be to protect the Princess in the event of an attack. But how did you know there was an attack?"

Avery leaned against the back of the blue cushioned armchair across the room from Link's rather extravagant bed. He had accepted Link's request for him to come and talk in more depth about his encounter with Dark Link after they had eaten dinner. He closed his eyes.

"I saw it – him – the night before," revealed Avery in his characteristic odd accent. "I was wandering the streets when he assaulted me. I was unprepared, and he knocked me out in only a few seconds. I am unsure why he didn't finish me off, but it took a couple potions to fix the wounds and broken bones so that I was in top shape again. It's why I don't have any potions left. Perhaps he thought I was already dead." Avery shrugged, his face not changing expressions. "In any event, I went looking for him after I awoke and healed myself. I saw him head for the Palace with someone else in tow, and I jumped to the conclusion that he was after either you or Zelda, and you can handle yourself better than she can."

Aurora's eyes narrowed in suspicion at the last sentence. "Not that I'm complaining or anything," she noted, "but you just said 'Zelda' without a title. I haven't heard you do that before." When Avery didn't react, she scowled a scowl that put his semi-scowl to serious shame. "Don't ignore me, Scythe Boy!"

He opened his eyes quickly and sighed in irritation. "I have told you before; I don't want to talk to a sword. Stop addressing me."

"If I weren't ethereal, I'd sock you one, Scythe Boy!" Aurora informed him.

"That's lovely. Now will you stop talking to me?"

Link shook his head with a grin. "I can tell this relationship is going to be interesting," he remarked.

"Relationship?" Aurora questioned, her eyes wide. "Are you suggesting that I become _friends_ with him?"

"Highly doubtful proposition, I'm afraid," Avery smirked at Link. "I have no intentions of associating myself with a talking tool." Aurora crossed her arms and glared murderously at the human. Link stifled a laugh. At first, he had been offended by Avery's attitude, but he was beginning to suspect that it was mostly a put-on.

"Besides," Avery continued offhandedly, "when would we get the time? I have a feeling that you won't be hanging around the capital for too much longer." He raised an eyebrow. "Am I mistaken?"

Link paused, then admitted, "No, you're not. I'm not sure yet when I'm leaving, but it will be before the end of the summer. So, in less than three weeks."

"Do you know where you will be going?"

"Why's that any of your business?" Aurora asked impudently.

"No, I don't. Not yet. But I'll know by the time I leave, that much I'm sure of," Link answered him. Aurora turned her glare on Link.

"Now you're ignoring me too? What is this, a conspiracy?" She stuck out her tongue. "Fine then," she huffed in a highly exaggerated upset voice, "I'll just go pout by the mirror." She walked over to the full-length mirror along one wall of the room and began making faces at it. Link watched her with amusement for a moment before turning back to Avery.

"What about you? Will you be staying in the capital?"

Avery shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure. It depends on whether I get offered a mercenary job. I might stay and work for the Princess, or I might get put on a noble's payroll. Or there's always the trusted duty of guarding traveling caravans. If I got paid enough, I'd even be willing to accompany you as an extra blade." His eyes flicked between Link's sword hilts. "Not that you really need one."

"Unfortunately, I'm a bit low on rupees," Link confided. "So I don't think I'd be able to pay you." Avery closed his eyes and raised both eyebrows.

"You could always suggest it to the Princess if you really wanted to. She would be able to pay me well enough, I think. But enough about that. It's getting late, and I should be going. I'm being given the honor of a room tonight." He stood slowly and nodded at Link.

"I'll see you to your room," the green-clad boy said, rising and moving to escort the other youth. Avery scowled.

"I'm perfectly capable of finding it on my own, Link." His scowl softened. "Good night."

"Good night," Link responded.

"Good riddance," called Aurora as he left.

*  
Location: Prison Cell under the Palace  
Time: Late Evening of the seventieth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

Alexis leaned her head against the rough rock wall of her cell. Apart from the tiny amount of food, if you could even call it that, which was brought down by a few guards for the prisoners, the former fighters of the Blood Brawl had been left alone in utter darkness the entire day, just like the last few days since the day of the trial. She was starting to come to the conclusion that if she were left here much longer, she would go crazy. At all hours of the day and night, someone was awake and raging about the situation. Hearing the angry voices echo in the blackness reminded her of where she was and that she was probably going to die there. Her sleep schedule had become erratic, since it was impossible to tell day from night in the never-ending dark. She was fast losing her grip on what was real and what was not, her overactive mind conjuring up creatures and objects in the darkness. In fact, her vision, interrupted by a nightmarish attack, was something of a comfort in one way; it gave her something to grasp onto and think about other than her sins and situation.

She pulled at the veil that had once covered her face, attempting to re-secure it. It came completely free and fell over her hand. The black stealth outfit, she realized, was the one and only material thing that she had ever really been given by Lord Emit. She still had mixed feelings regarding her former master. He was a bad man, even an evil man, there was no questioning that. But he had given her her revenge. He had given her fighting skills that rivaled those of many military adults; it might have been the enchanted dagger that secured her title as Swift Death in the Blood Brawl, but her own abilities were no joke either. He had given her valuable abilities, such as sneaking, hiding, lock-picking, and so on. He had given her knowledge and education, even if most of it was a side-effect of everything else.

She closed her eyes, wishing that it would make a difference on the black sameness of her prison. _Why must everything be so complicated?_ she asked no one in particular. She almost didn't hear it when someone turned a key in the lock on her door.

"Who's there?" she demanded.

A hand touched her mouth gently. "There's no need to yell," a woman's voice said reassuringly. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm letting you out." The pressure from the hand lifted and she felt someone slide a hand into her own, closing it and lifting her to her feet.

"What's –"

"Sh. Quietly, please," the woman requested urgently in a low voice. "We don't want the other prisoners, or the guards, to know that you're gone yet." The unknown woman began to lead Alex toward the stairs through the pitch blackness.

"What's going on?" she whispered.

"You're being released," was the reply. "On orders from Princess Zelda."

"The Princess?"

"Not so loud. Yes, the Princess. She wants to meet with you. Don't worry, you won't be put back down in the prison. Once Milady gets through the paperwork, you're going to be pardoned for witnessing against Raistler – who is dead now, by the way. And not by our hands. The Princess was attacked this morning and a number of others were killed, including Raistler, the former Lord Emit. You'll hear the details when you meet with Her Majesty."

Unsure of how to respond to the sudden barrage of information, Alexis decided not to and fell silent. The two of them made it to the stairs and up to the above ground part of the castle, slipping past guards along the way. Quickly turning into a passageway hidden behind a hollow wall, they began to navigate through the Palace unseen. When they had first passed a torch and Lexi had gotten a glance at her rescuer, she was unsurprised to discover that the woman was a Sheikah. After all, she knew, Sheikah could see in the dark; at least some of them, anyway.

"Why are we doing this secretively if I'm going to be pardoned? And _why_ am I going to be pardoned? I know enough about how the rules work to know that I shouldn't be getting pardoned of the other crimes I confessed to just for testifying; that kind of weaseling out of punishment only applies to nobility."

The Sheikah, Sharla, stopped and turned to her in the dim light (that seemed like daylight to Alexis since she had been in pure black for so long) of a hidden corridor. Her hazel eyes bored into the girl's.

"For the first question," she said quietly, "it is because you have not yet been pardoned. And for the second question…" She paused and shook her head. "I don't have the authority to tell you. Milady will explain everything."

With that curiosity-piquing remark, she turned and continued down the hidden hall. The black-garbed girl merely followed, her mind spinning. _As if things weren't already complicated enough…_

When they emerged at their destination, the teenager opened her mouth in awe. The large room they entered was suffused with light, and there was a presence all around that felt familiar, and powerful. The platform carrying the picture of three spheres with three triangles in between them in front of a pedestal which had a slot as if for a sword were the only real features of the room. The Princess Zelda was seated on the ground, leaning against the pedestal for support, her expression unreadable.

The presence swirled, and an orange-clothed, white-haired man stood upon the platform, almost translucent. He opened his mouth and spoke, his voice neither simply sound nor simply mental. It had a reassuring undertone, which from Alexis's point of view was good, since what he said just make her day even more confusing.

_"Welcome, young girl, to the Chamber of the Light. I am Rauru, the Sage of Light. And you, you are one of two who may become the Seventh Sage."_

**END CHAPTER TWELVE**

**COMING IN CHAPTER THIRTEEN: SAGES AND SWORDSMEN**

Rauru tells Zelda and Alexis the story of the Sages. The mysterious man travels the Great Gorges to find the Fairies' Gate. Link trains still more with his swords, and he challenges a nobleman Major to a duel.


	14. Sages and Swordsmen

**Notes**: Thirteen, the unlucky number. But it's my lucky number and always has been. It's one of my favorite numbers. So in this chapter, you can expect things to happen. Will they be lucky things? Will they be unlucky things? I guess it's up to you to find out by reading the chapter! I hope you enjoy the chapter!

**Previous Chapter Summary**: Zelda cries in the presence of Rauru, the Sage of Light, as he ponders the strange circumstances. The losses are tallied, and Arlon is among the dead. The Princess hardens her resolve and meets with Majors Kirk Damien and Minerva Armstrong, telling them that a disaster is on its way. Link, Avery, Rauru, Zelda, and others meet and plan for this unknown disaster. Rauru discovers magic cast on Avery (which enabled the boy to survive the fall and the attack by Dark Link) and dispels it, but does not reveal to the others that Avery has associated with Agahnim. Later Sharla frees Alexis and brings her to the Chamber of the Light, where she is told that she is one of two candidates for the position of Seventh Sage.

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Sages and Swordsmen**

Location: Chamber of the Light  
Time: Night of the seventieth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

"I…what?" was all that Alexis could manage in response.

_"You are one of the two possible Seventh Sages," _Rauru reworded. _"Do you know the story of the Sages?"_ Alexis shook her head slowly. The Sage motioned for her to seat herself, which she did, not noticing as Sharla eased into the background.

_"In centuries long past, over two millennia ago, the three goddesses of creation, Din, the goddess of Power, Nayru, the goddess of Wisdom, and Farore, the goddess of Courage, decided to safeguard the Sacred Power left behind in the Sacred Realm after the creation, the Triforce. This was in the early days of the Kingdom of Hyrule, before Hylians outnumbered humans. They chose a single human, me, to become an immortal guardian, neither fully present in this realm or the Sacred Realm, but partially present in both, and named me Sage. They gifted me with the power over the element of Light, antithesis to the darkness that had tried to reach the Triforce in the past. And so, as the Sage of Light, I protected the Triforce from those who sought it out for several centuries."_

He shook his head. _"But I grew overconfident with the passage of time, and knowing that the Master Sword, which they had also created to guard the entryway to the Sacred Realm, was unmoved in its Temple, I lowered my guard. It was then that the King of Evil, the King of a desert-dwelling race known as the Gerudo, used the naïve courage of a young boy and a princess to trick the pure-hearted child into drawing the Blade of Evil's Bane and opening a path for him to the Sacred Realm. He touched the Triforce, and it shattered into three – Power, which the Evil King, Ganondorf, kept, Wisdom, which the young princess, Zelda, received, and Courage, which the young boy, Link, was given._

_ "The goddesses then decided that one Sage was not enough; though I think that had decided that before my failure, for a reason that comes at the end of this story. The boy, now made into the Hero of Time, was tasked with awakening five new Sages – Forest, Fire, Water, Shadow, and Spirit. At the end of his task, he discovered that there was a Seventh Sage, with powers unbound by element – the Princess Zelda. In fact, she had begun to awaken before Ganondorf reached the Triforce, as evidenced by her prophetic dreams._

_ "The Hero of Time then fought and defeated Ganondorf, but the Triforce of Power had made the King immortal, and so the Sages sealed him away in another Realm, the Dark World. The Hero soon disappeared from history's pages, but the Sages remained. However, unlike me, the other Sages were not immortal. All have since died. Some Sages, like Forest and Spirit, have allowed their ghosts to remain in this world to continue their duties. Fire merged with Death Mountain itself. Water and Shadow passed on their powers differently; Water left her power contained in a sacred spring, while Shadow spread her powers among her people. The Seventh Sage, Zelda, passed on her powers through her bloodline, and whenever the Sages are needed, the current Princess has always awoken to her powers as the new Seventh Sage."_

He finished his story and fell silent to give Alexis a chance to sift through the information. It was a lot to dump on someone with no knowledge of the legends, after all. Alexis mouthed several words and seemed to be struggling over something. Finally, she looked back up at Rauru.

"I have several questions, but first – the boy I fought in the Blood Brawl, the one at the trial that Princess Zelda said was the new Hero, isn't his name Link? So he has the same name as the ancient Hero?"

_"Correct. There have been several Heroes since the Hero of Time, and all have shared his name by a quirk of fate."_

"Then the next question would be: isn't Princess Zelda the new Seventh Sage, then? Why would it have anything to do with me? I'm not even nobility, let alone royalty."

_"I, too, am at a loss to explain it. But the fact remains that both you and Zelda have showed signs of the Seventh Sage's powers. Have you not had at least one prophetic dream? Have you not used magic that shone with a purple light?"_

Her eyes widened as something clicked into place. "_You're_ the one!" she cried, standing and pointing. "The one who helped me fight off the black magic that invaded my dream!" He nodded in acknowledgment. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She repeated the process several more times (Rauru and Zelda watching her without comment) before asking, "Then I really did use magic then?" He nodded again.

_"Zelda has also seen prophetic dreams, and more of them than you, but has not shown any other signs. This is the first time in the history of the Sages that there has been doubt over the identity of the Seventh Sage. In this situation, both of you must be protected as things develop and reveal one or the other to be the Sage. This is why you have been released and will be pardoned."_

Alexis sat back down, stunned by the implications. _She_ might be someone destined to protect Hyrule? This was too much.

"I can see that it will take some time to come to grips with this," Zelda said softly as she approached the girl ten years her junior and sat down beside her. "It is startling to me as well. But you do not have to deal with this alone."

_This has to be some kind of mistake,_ Alexis thought. _I'm…a murderer. I deserve to die for what I've done in the name of giving back to my savior. Not this…not to be forgiven just when I've started to come to terms with what I've done. Not to be protected. Not to be a protector._ She buried her face in her hands. _What do I do now?_

*  
Location: Somewhere in the Great Gorges  
Time: Night of the seventieth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

The blond-haired, blue-eyed man wearing the brown tunic stood at the bottom of the canyon. Behind him, the Northern Hylia rushed its way southward, roaring its impotent rage at the towering walls on either side it. The night was a bright one, and the man studied the cliff face in front of him in the moonlight that managed to make its way down to him. He moved to the side to get a better look, and the sword belt on his back jostled slightly. Placing his left hand on the rough rock, he made a slight frown in concentration.

"It's changed…" he said softly, his voice rich and calm. He stepped back from the wall and tilted his head back, looking up at the sky, almost as though he were basking in the moonlight. He closed his eyes and smiled serenely. He stood still, savoring the whistling breeze and sound of the thundering waters echoing. He remained silent, his body unmoving, for several long minutes with a patient pleasure earned through years of experience. His pointed Hylian ears at last twitched when he finally detected the sound he had been searching for.

He lowered his head again and opened his eyes, his calm alertness unnoticed by the source of the sound. The young-looking man waited for several moments, and then spoke in a calm, but firm, voice, a voice which carefully concealed the dangerousness of the man under a mask of friendliness

"Greetings, canyon-dweller. I certainly hope you aren't intending to drag me into the river. That would be rather unkind of you."

The great yellow-brown lizard-man whose scale colorings blended in perfectly with the canyon floor who had been crawling, sneaking up on the man from behind stopped in shock. It considered itself a master of stealth, and had thought that the man was completely unaware of its approach. Giving up on surprise, it stood up on its hind legs, revealing that it stood over seven and a half feet tall. Strapped to its underside was a long sword sized for it. It plucked it up in its right fore-claw and eyed the man carefully. If the Hylian could detect it, he must be very skilled.

"What be you doing in my land?" it asked in halting Hylian.

The man smoothly turned around to face it, a small disarming smile on his face.

"I mean no disrespect, Sir Brownback. I am merely looking for something."

The lizard cocked its head sideways. "What be you looking for?" it questioned curiously.

"I search for a stone door known as the Fairies' Gate," he answered, spreading his hands. "But I cannot seem to find it. Might you know where it is, sir?" He tilted his head ever so slightly, his smile gaining a questioning quality.

The yellowish brown lizard tapped its sword against its pointed teeth, thinking. What a strange Hylian this was. He could detect it when it moved stealthily, and he carried a sword on his back like a warrior, but he spoke like a gentle friend. Unlike other Hylians it had seen, he was neither angry nor afraid at seeing it, but spoke to it like an equal. Perhaps it should let him go. It knew where the stone door was, after all – the door was just outside of its domain, in the territory of the fearsome lizard-man called Klrsssikssss, a Redthroat. The Hylian could probably handle himself against Klrsssikssss, and if he killed the Redthroat, it could expand its own territory.

"Yesss, I be knowing ssstone door." It pointed downriver with its sword. "It be that way, many step, in hole in wall." It nodded its head. "Redthroat warrior name Klrsssikssss be guarding it. Bad, ssstrong Redthroat," it warned.

The blond-haired man smiled more broadly in gratitude. He bowed to the Brownback lizard. "I thank you, sir Brownback, for your kind help," he said warmly. "May you live well and dine on the juiciest of bugs." He gave a parting wave and set off in the direction the lizard had indicated. The lizard scratched its scales. What a strange man indeed.

The tunic-clad Hylian hiked effortlessly alongside the river for nearly two hours, eventually spotting the cave-like hollow in the cliff-side that the canyon denizen had called a "hole in wall." As he approached, an eight foot tall off-yellow lizard-man with a patch of red scales around its throat which was wearing plate armor made to fit it and carrying a large axe in one fore-claw and a circular shield in the other stomped out of the opening and bared its teeth at him, hissing angrily.

"There is no need to be so upset," the Hylian said calmly. "I have not come to fight you. I simply wish to open the Fairies' Gate."

"The Gate belongsss to me, and to me alone!" the lizard hissed in perfect Hylian, startling him, but he kept the surprise out of his expression. "I will never let anyone elssse near it! I am Krlsssikssss, the warrior of this placcce, and I will not let you any clossser to the ssspecial door of the Fairiesss!"

"That could be a problem," the man said without changing his tone. "You see, I need to unlock the spell that keeps the door closed." He took another step forward.

The lizard warrior raised its axe. "Take another ssstep and you die!"

He stopped and looked thoughtfully at the Redthroat. "I am curious, my warrior friend," he said amiably. "How is it that you speak the tongue of Hylians so fluently?"

He was met with hissing laughter. "I am no friend of yoursss! As for why I ssspeak your wretched language, that isss becaussse I learn much by the whissspered sssecrets of the foolish fairiesss on the other ssside of the Gate. I am not a ssstupid brute, asss you Hyliansss think that all we varietiesss of Lizalfosss are! My battle ssskill isss asss great asss my massstery of your ssspeech, and if you do not jump in the river'sss watersss to essscape, I will show that to you!"

The swordsman shook his head with a sad expression. "I hoped it would not come to this," he said regretfully. He fixed the other with a calm gaze, but just under the calm his eyes were steel. "I truly must get to the Fairies' Gate," he said, his voice laced with a hint of danger. "If you do not let me, then I will use force, and I will not hold back." His left hand wandered up to grasp the hilt of his sword.

"I think I'll cut you in two!" cried the Lizalfos, moving to charge forward, beginning a swing with its weapon.

"That was a mistake," he said coldly. There was the sound of his blade singing out of its scabbard and of something cutting through metal, scales, and flesh. The man stood next to the lizard with his sword out, a stream of blood coming forth from a slice wound that stretched from the lizard's right shoulder to its left of his waist, straight through the armor. The wound was deep, and the lizard collapsed.

"What…" it croaked. "I didn't…even sssee…him move…" It stopped moving.

The blue-eyed Hylian whipped his sword once, and as if by magic every trace of blood flew off of the blade. He sheathed it in one swift movement before staring down at the lizard.

"I gave you a chance," he said. "I gave you more than any other, even your own kind, would have given you. The Brownback up the river is proof enough that not all Lizalfos are blood-crazed killers. I'm sure he had his share of crimes, but he assisted me." He shook his head in genuine sadness. "Why do so many persist in their cruel ways?"

He bowed his head for a moment, then turned to go into the hollow. Once inside, the moonlight no longer illuminated his way and he walked forward in darkness. Reaching out, he touched the back wall and felt for the edges of the door. The familiar reliefs under his hand brought a small smile to his face.

"Now, to break the seal."

He removed the ocarina from his pouch and put it to his lips, blowing an old tune.

_Daa daa daa, da-da daa daa daa, daa daa daaa da daa da da daa…_

The Triforce-shaped relief on the wall began to glow, and the stone parted, opening outward. Glowing sparks of many colors slowly flowed out of the opening, floating past the smiling man. He reached out with his left hand, and there was a slight hum as a second enchantment was dispelled further in the impenetrable cave. A pair of silky, bare arms reached out of the darkness and caressed his chest.

"It has been so long," a seductive feminine voice pined. "Come in and stay for a while."

"Afraid not, ladies," he replied jovially. "I've got places to go and things to do. I just came by to pick up a friend who has been in stasis for a while." Another pair of identical arms reached forward further and wrapped around him, also caressing. "And to bring a message to you all. There's a new Hero now. From what I've heard, I think you'll like him. I don't know when he'll be coming by, but rest assured, he will. Then you can have someone else to play with." The man gave a short laugh that echoed nicely off the walls.

A blue ball of light the diameter of the width of his hand shot out of the cave, revealing itself to be a blue-clad, blue-skinned, blue-haired, blue-eyed fairy girl when it reached him.

"Back, back, you perverted fairies!" she cried, flying around smacking the hands that were caressing the man. "Let go of my partner! He's got me to follow him around, so he doesn't need a group of pervert women playing around with him! Perverts!" She smacked one of the hands again. "Perverts!"

"Of course, he'll have a partner to defend him, too," he said as the arms withdrew reluctantly back into the cave. "So good luck with that." He waved, then turned to go.

"Good to have you back," he said to the blue fairy.

"Good to _be_ back," she replied with a smile.

"Now, let's go find out what's wrong with Hyrule," he declared, and the two of them set off.

*  
Location: Knight Practice Grounds  
Time: Morning of the seventy-first day of Summer (KAHII 35)

"So how did you manage to get away from all your other duties at a time like this?" Link asked, rubbing his bruises, after his fourth spar in a row with Major Kirk.

"I obtained permission from the Princess to spend the first part of the day training you," he replied, looking down the edge of his sword. "My subordinates are taking care of things at the moment. Additionally, Major Eli Elswood of House Elswood is scheduled to be returning from his visit to Zora's Domain in a few days; things won't really get into full swing until he arrives."

Using the tip of his hat to wipe the sweat off of his face, Link asked, "What about the other Major?"

Kirk shook his head. "He and an elite unit of Knights are current doing a circular patrol of our borders; they won't be back for months." He straightened and readied himself. "Are you prepared for another match yet?"

"Yes, I'm ready," he replied, wincing as he stepped into his original ready stance. He was getting some serious bruises from fighting the Major; it was a good thing that the Princess had given him a single potion to sip from, telling him to make it last for the rest of his time in the castle. While the incident with Dark Link had surely shaken her, she was just as bossy as ever.

The two combatants stared at each other, trying to read each other's intent. Kirk's alert grey eyes gave away nothing. Neither opponent moved for nearly a minute. Then Link attacked. He ran forward and to the left, as if he were going to run around the Major. He lashed out sideways with the Sword of Souls as he approached, stopping and turning to face Kirk's side, thrusting with the Master Sword. Kirk blocked, pointing his sword toward to ground as he caught Aurora's edge on it and pulled it backwards, deflecting Link's thrust behind him. Pivoting on his right foot, he faced Link and slid his sword forward, bringing up the tip in a thrust. Side-jumping to his left, Link avoided the blade and spun clockwise, whirling his swords in horizontal slices at different heights, staggered so that they would not hit at the same time. The first Kirk turned and caught on his shield, and the Master Sword he blocked with his own.

_Hey, Aurora,_ Link said.

_Determination's the key,_ she responded as though she had read his intention. _I'm guessing you want to try to activate magnetism, since that one is the only one that can be harmless and this isn't a real battle._

Kirk whirled his sword in a circle in front of him, causing the Master Sword to move in ways Link didn't intend. Link, meanwhile, was sliding the Sword of Souls off of the shield to collide with his opponent's weapon. It struck, stopping the circular movement, and Link immediately brought up the Master Sword to pin the Major's sword between the two. Kirk shield-bashed Link, who attempted to sidestep unsuccessfully. As he was hit, before the Sword of Souls lost contact with the other blade, he closed his eyes and focused.

There was a cool sensation in his right hand, as though he had just plunged it into a pool of water. The back of his hand where the "blades" mark was felt as though someone were tracing along it with ice. _Magnetism,_ he thought. There was a sense that he was reaching for something just out of his reach, his fingertips barely touching it…

And then he was brought back to the practice field as the blades disengaged and he struck the ground on his back. His eyes snapped open to find the Major's sword tip pointing at his chest.

"And that's number five," Kirk said with a small smile. "Do you want to keep going?"

"Yes, sir. I just need a moment to recover. The bruises add up after a while," he explained ruefully.

"Indeed they do. You are getting better, though, I have noticed. If you hadn't been so intent on keeping my sword trapped just then, I'm sure the match would have lasted quite a bit longer. As long as you don't end up on your back, you're pretty good about getting up again after you've been hit. I can only imagine what you're like in battle." He shook his head. "You're the kind that doesn't stop fighting until he's bled to death, I suspect."

"You could say that," Link admitted as he got to his feet.

_I thought I almost had it there for a moment, Aurora,_ he said in wonder. _The mark that the Master Sword put on my right hand started to activate, I think. We need to keep trying._

_ I completely agreed,_ the sword-girl concurred. _In addition to training your sword skills, you should also be training to use my powers. Eventually we'll figure out how the Master Sword works, too, and you can train that._

"Time for number six," he grinned at Kirk.

The sparring matches gradually became longer. After the eighth match he sipped on potion to relieve his bruises, and then they continued again. Without exception, the matches ended with Link on the ground. Some might have been frustrated, but Link found each loss to be a motivator for the next fight. Aurora couldn't have been prouder of her partner's work ethic. He was forced to try different tactics and moves in each fight in an attempt to surprise his opponent. After the fifteenth loss (and Link still hadn't managed to access Aurora's powers, though to be honest he had only tried once every three matches) Link collapsed by a tree and looked up at the Major with a questioning expression.

"How is it that you're never surprised by anything I do?" he asked. "I keep trying new things, but you always act like you expected them."

Kirk smiled. "I was wondering when you would ask that," he said. "It's really quite simple. I'm not watching only your arms and body movements during the battle. I'm also watching your eyes. By making correlations between subtle changes in your eyes and your body movements, I can predict what you are going to do. It isn't perfectly accurate, but it's enough that when combined with my natural above-average battle intuition and my extensive experience, I'm rarely caught completely by surprise. It might be difficult for you to master that ability, however."

"Why is that?"

"Because you don't fight from a purely logical perspective. You've trained enough that your body has a general grasp of how to fight and adjust to new situations, and you do plan many of your attacks. But you also fuel your fighting with your emotions. It's easy for me to see that when I look in your eyes during combat. You are what the Gorons call a Headsmasher, one who delights in battle. You are good at reading your opponent by watching his body, but to look into his eyes requires that you step away from your own emotions and into his, to understand how he fights. To do that, you have to let go of your joy of battle, even if briefly, while you are fighting. It isn't impossible, but it is difficult."

Link rubbed his shoulder thoughtfully. "Hm. I see. I'll have to think about that. After all, I need to continue getting better if I am to perform my duty as Hero."

"Indeed. Well, I need to be going. You should keep training on your own; someone will come to get you if you are needed."

Link nodded. "All right, sir." The Major waved and left.

_And now it's time to focus on training your ability to use my powers!_ Aurora said delightedly. _Practice, practice! You do everything else in record time, why not this? I think the record is…a week for activating the wreath at will, a month for keeping it active continuously, and three months each for lightning cord, arc, barrier, and magnetism. The other ones are more complicated, so they've never been mastered in less than a year. We've been together for almost five weeks, but you were out of it for half that and we've only been fighting or training for about a week with everything put together. So let's get to it!_

And so Link's training with the Sword of Souls began in earnest.

*  
Location: Inside the Palace, Headquarters of the Palace Guard  
Time: Afternoon of the seventy-sixth day of Summer (KAHII35)

The twenty-nine year old with short flaming red hair and a scar across his right cheek make a noise of distaste. His Major's armor marked the green and blue-eyed man as Eli Elswood, newly arrived in the capital. His face was fixed in a permanent frown.

"I don't like it," he said in a disgusted voice. "This is nothing but paranoia. We have no evidence that your dreams are any more than that – dreams, Your Majesty."

"Hold your tongue, Major!" reprimanded Major Minerva Armstrong. "Do not speak flippantly of Milady's visions. The attack by the shade is evidence enough of their veracity."

"Both of you, calm down," Major Kirk Damien pleaded. "Minerva's right. Her Grace's dreams are there as the result of the blood of the Sage. As we have already said, we have spoken to the Sage of Light. Would the Timeless Sage have revealed himself if we were not in perilous times?"

"You two are simply paranoid cowards who believe in children's tales," Major Eli Elswood scoffed. "Your Majesty, I understand that there was an attempt on your life. However, you are the Princess; such things will happen. Granted the security needs to have more discipline beaten into them, but –"

"That was not the result of poor discipline in my men!" Minerva denied, outraged. "What _don't_ you understand about the fact that it was not a man that attacked, but a shade?"

"Perhaps the fact that shades are nightmares of stories, not actual beings?" Eli sarcastically responded. "There's no need for you to get so emotional, woman."

"It's not just Minerva that's getting angry with you, Elswood," Kirk said, his voice carrying a dangerous edge. "You weren't here. You didn't see what happened to those men. They were _ripped apart._ Nothing human or Hylian could have mutilated them like that."

"I think you underestimate the potential for our kind's cruelty," the red-haired Major replied dismissively.

Zelda pounded a fist on the desk, causing them to become silent and look at her. "Silence," she commanded in an powerful voice. "I will not have my Majors bickering like children." She turned a cold stare on Elswood. "_You_ are out of line, Elswood. You are projecting your own childish view of the world onto the situation and insulting those who died attempting to protect me. This is not a game. If you still refuse to believe, we will take you to see the Sage of Light."

"And where might this Sage be?" Eli asked with false politeness.

"The Chamber of the Light," she answered, her stare never changing.

"Well then, let's all traipse down to there where you can show me your little light show," he said condescendingly.

"Permission to deck him, Your Majesty?" asked Minerva, her voice shaking with rage.

"Permission denied, Major. I won't have brawling among my officers either. Even if one of them does deserve it. We need to be on the same page; the fastest way to get the truth drilled into Major Elswood's skull is by seeing Rauru."

"Permission to challenge him to an honor duel, then, Princess?" a youthful voice came from the doorway. All four of them turned in surprise to see Link standing there, his piercing blue eyes betraying his anger as he glared venomously at the offending Major.

"Oh, is this the Hero I've been hearing about? I hadn't seen him yet," Eli said with interest. He looked Link up and down. He smiled slightly, and Link decided on the spot that while he wasn't fond of the Princess, he detested this man.

"You want to challenge me to a duel? Your Majesty, I request permission to accept his challenge. I want to teach this boy a lesson."

Kirk's lips twitched. "_He_ won't be the one taught a lesson, you bastard," he said under his breath. Kirk had been practicing with Link every morning since the day before the funeral, and when he had the chance he had watched Link practice on his own. In the past six days, Link had improved remarkably, and he had been able to control special effects from the Sword of Souls. He still hadn't made any progress with reading others' eyes, but he no longer lost quickly to the Major, and using the Sword of Souls' abilities he had actually managed to pull out a couple wins. Kirk was confident that he was almost Eli's equal without using tricks, and with them he would win without question.

Zelda looked between the two and debated with herself. If Link lost, there would be hell to pay. But if Link won, Eli's honor (however little of it there might be) would dictate that he concede defeat not only to the boy, but also to his supporters in this room. Her aqua eyes glanced at Kirk. Noticing the glance, he nodded almost imperceptibly. He thought Link could win. She nodded, making her decision.

"Permission granted, to both of you. We'll see Rauru after that. We will head down to the practice field right now." She walked swiftly to the door.

"Finish up your potion to take care of your bruises; it is vitally important that you win this fight," she whispered to Link as she passed him.

*  
Location: Knight Practice Grounds  
Time: Afternoon of the seventy-sixth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

Link and Eli faced each other. The rules of the duel had been hotly debated while they traveled to the field. Eli, maintaining that to be a true duel it had to be different than a sparring match, had held steadfastly to the idea of having it be a lethal duel – a duel where the swords were not magically dulled and no attacks were forbidden. The other two Majors had insisted that lethal duels were for enemies, not merely honor challenges, and that full protective measures should be used. Link, curiously, had said that he wanted the blades dulled, but that all attacks, including magic, should be considered valid. Elswood had scoffed, saying that any swordsman who tried to use magic was sure to fail and that he feared nothing – let the boy use magic if he wants, he said. Zelda, after listening to the arguments until she felt ready to throttle everyone, had finally gone with Link's suggestion, primarily because she suspected that it gave him an advantage over the Major.

Twenty feet apart, the two fighters faced one another, waiting for the signal to begin. Link stood in his secondary ready stance. His opponent, who had refused to remove his armor ("It makes it fair should he decide to use lethal magic," he claimed), held a bastard sword in his left hand and a Hylian Shield in his right, each up and in front of him. Several other officers in addition to Zelda and the other Majors had come to see the duel and were standing around watching.

_You know the plan,_ Link mentally reminded Aurora.

_As well as you do,_ she replied. _Let's teach him that blowhards don't deserve to be Majors._

"Begin!" cried Zelda, and Link closed his eyes while Eli charged.

Focus. Determination. Synchronization. Those were the key words that unlocked the potential of the partnership between wielder and Sword. Aligning themselves together, merging their wills as one. A brief flash of heat on his left hand and a similarly instantaneous shock of cold on his right signaled the beginning.

_Wreathe with lightning,_ they thought together. _Defeat the foe._

Link's eyes snapped open just as the Major reached him, thrusting with his sword. The Sword of Souls crackled as multi-colored electricity sprang up around it, causing many of those watching to gasp in surprise. He stepped diagonally back and to the left with his right foot, neatly sidestepping the thrust. When Eli attempted to bash him with the shield, he ducked low and swung Aurora up under the shield while swiping sideways with the Master Sword at his legs. He took the blow to his legs, unable to react quickly enough, and the Sword of Souls sliced through his armor, but not deep enough to injure. Immediately rolling backwards, Link sprang to his feet once again. That was when he realized that the reason he had landed the blows was that Eli had severely underestimated his ability and hadn't been expecting his skill. He discovered quickly that Eli, unlike Kirk who relied on twisting and bashing primarily, used speed to his advantage. Most of the time he didn't use the shield at all; it was simply there in case he needed it. The place became a whirling flurry of blades as metal rang off of metal. The number of nicks, dents, and cuts in the Major's equipment continued to increase as the battle went on. Link had difficulty landing hits, and he suffered a few as well, but the fight appeared to be favoring the younger fighter.

Link was in full grip of the battle-joy, as was Aurora. This was exhilarating. This was living. This was what Aurora had been made to do, and what Link felt was his calling. The back of his right hand felt pleasantly cool and his left hand comfortably warm. The lightning on Aurora's blade never once faltered; the pair had already mastered the art of using the lightning wreath. His opponent's face was a mask of furious energy as he desperately tried to defeat the green-garbed boy. They locked blades again.

_And now,_ the duo chanted, _we will rip that sword away from you with the power of magnetism!_

Link's eyes closed as the two continued, and he fought on instinct alone, his swords blocking his opponent's swipes and thrusts as he practically danced across the field. His right hand's mark traced in ice as the Triforce blazed hot. The swirling energy of the magical bond between the boy and girl locked around his grip on the sword. The Master Sword clattered off of the Major's Shield. Link's heart beat. The Sword of Souls connected with Eli's blade. An energy shot down from the blade through his body and rebounded into his hand, and his eyes snapped open.

The Sword of Souls had wrapped its lightning around the red-haired man's weapon. Link's grin grew. He jerked his opponent hard to the side, leaping up onto him. He flipped his grip on the Master Sword to reverse and held it to the neck of the Major as he wrapped his legs around the man's shield arm.

"It's over," he whispered. "Unless you feel like having me shatter your blade."

Major Eli Elswood's eyes widened in shock, and he stopped struggling. If the battle had been lethal as he had originally wanted, the boy would be bloodied, but he would still be alive. If the battle had been lethal as he had originally wanted, he would be dead.

"I admit defeat," he said, all traces of his former arrogance gone. Link let go and released his hold on the magic, allowing it to dissipate. He stood beside his opponent and sheathed his swords.

Later, Zelda realized that it was at this moment when the arrogant, disrespectful, uncompassionate younger brother of Lord Elswood, Head of House Elswood of the twelve Houses, became the greatest follower the Hero of Blades had among the noble class.

**END CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

**COMING NEXT IN CHAPTER FOURTEEN: SECOND VENTURE**

Many things happen quickly as time marches on. Alexis meets Link and Avery, initiating a friendship. Avery goes back to Agahnim for more instructions. A Goron messenger tells that the Gorons are in desperate need of help, and Link, Avery, a Sheikah, and Sergeant Hawke's unit are dispatched to aid the rock-people.


	15. Second Venture

**Notes**: Aaaaaaand they're off! Or, at least, they will be by the end of the chapter. Enjoy!

**Previous Chapter Summary**: Rauru, the Sage of Light, tells the story of the Sages. It turns out that the Seventh Sage passed on her powers through her bloodline, but both Zelda and Alexis, a commoner, show signs of the powers of the Seventh Sage. The brown-tunic-wearing man travels the Great Gorges and talks to some Lizalfos, eventually opening the Fairies' Gate and retrieving his blue fairy partner. Major Eli Elswood arrives, and Link challenges him to a duel, succeeding.

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Second Venture**

Location: Interior of the Palace, Alexis's bedchamber  
Time: Night of the seventy-sixth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

The black-haired girl turned fitfully in her sleep. She whimpered, and she clutched the blankets tighter to herself.

_An ebony blade slides out of the Hero – Link's – stomach, staining his green tunic red with blood. I cry out, but his bright blue eyes cloud over and he falls to the marble floor. The midnight copy of him with red eyes turns to face me, his face grinning sadistically. I try to step backwards, to get away, but my back is against a wall._

_ The human with the brown cloak throws out a scythe attached to a chain as he steps protectively in front of me. The black false Hero merely laughs, and in an instant the boy is thrown to the side, a gash across his chest._

_ As the black shadow steps toward me, I somehow know that this is all my fault. I could have saved them! I could have protected them! I could have prevented this! How, I don't know, but I know it is true all the same._

_ Suddenly beside me is the Princess Zelda. She places a hand on my shoulder. I turn to her, hoping for comfort, but what I see is something else. Her face is contorted, as if she is in pain, and the features of the black-haired woman from before are slowly sliding across her. I blink, then double over as the same pain assaults _me_. I know, even though I can't see, that I'm undergoing the same transformation. _

_The Dark Link blurs in front of us to be replaced by the black-haired woman, grinning a subtly evil grin. She holds out both hands. In one of them is a golden triangle. In the other is a shimmering violet sphere. She looks between the two of us, daring us to choose which one of us will take which item. I shut my eyes. What am I supposed to do? If I choose the right one, will that keep the boys from dying? Somebody, tell me!_

With a dismayed cry, Alexis woke. She turned her face into her pillow, hugging it tightly. Why was she having these dreams? What did they mean? And was it really up to her whether those boys lived or died?

*  
Location: Interior of the Palace, a Dining Room  
Time: Morning of the seventy-seventh day of Summer (KAHII35)

"Um…good morning," Alexis said hesitantly.

"Good morning," Link replied cheerfully as he sat down beside her and grabbed a roll to put on his plate. The two had crossed paths several times since a week ago when she had been released from prison (she had been officially pardoned five days ago), but they had never spoken to one another. This was the first time that had shown up at the same time to eat breakfast in the guest dining room.

"Good morning, little person," Aurora added, grinning. The black-haired girl, garbed in a new black outfit at her request, gazed at the spot where the transparent girl was standing behind Link, a slightly puzzled look on her face.

"Is there…someone there?" she asked in confusion. Link looked up from piling food on his plate and noticed where she was looking.

"Oh, that's Aurora. Can you see her?"

Alexis shook her head slightly. "No…but I feel like someone is there. Like that feeling you get when it's too dark to see but someone is behind you."

Aurora cocked her head. "That's interesting. She seems to be right on the verge of being a strong enough soul to see and hear me. If her soul strengthens, she should be able to. Souls can do that, you know," she added, nodding to Link.

"That doesn't surprise me," Link replied. Glancing back at Alexis he said quickly, "Sorry, I wasn't saying that about you. I was talking to Aurora. She was saying that you have a strong soul, but not quite strong enough to see her; if your soul gets stronger, you will. See her, I mean. She's the spirit of the Sword of Souls, the sword on my back." The fifteen-year-old girl was looking at him strangely. He sighed.

"That was confusing. I garbled it. Let's start over." He put out his hand. "Hi. My name is Link. I'm a swordsman from the forest village of Ordon. I'm also the new Hero of Hyrule, the Hero of Blades. I have the Triforce of Courage, the Master Sword, an ancient powerful living sword called the Sword of Souls whose name is Aurora and appears to strong-spirited people as a transparent girl, a bow that I suspect is also magical as I am the only one who can use it, the Arrow of Light, a few bottles, some Deku Nuts, a couple quivers of arrows, a few rupees, and a magical pouch that can hold anything. I also wear this green tunic, which is apparently standard dress code for Heroes of Hyrule. I like fighting, but I despise killing people. I enjoy a good laugh and generally like spending time with interesting people. I have an older sister named Alice back home. What about you?"

Alex fought back a smile unsuccessfully as she shook his hand. "My name is Alexis, but you can also call me Alex or Lexi. I'm not really sure who or what I am anymore. I grew up in a normal household here in the city with a mom, dad, and older brother." Her smile faded, replaced by an uncomfortable expression. "After they were murdered, I was taken in by Lord Raistler Emit and trained as an assassin. I was given revenge against the murderer. Then, I continued to work as an assassin for Lord Emit." She looked down, a pained look on her face. "I killed…so many…"

"Enough!" Aurora said angrily. "We were there at the trial! You don't need to put yourself through this again!"

"Put who through what?" came the unmistakable accented voice of Avery from the door. Aurora whirled around and glared.

"I thought you were ignoring me?" she demanded.

"Sorry, Sword, I mistook your voice for someone else's," he lied flippantly.

"Why you…!"

Alexis had looked up in confusion. Link smiled gently at her.

"Don't worry about him, he's talking to Aurora." He took her hand again and looked in her green eyes with his blue ones. "And don't keep thinking about what happened with Raistler," he said softly. "As my friend Faro said, if you've done something you think is unforgivable, the best way to atone isn't dying or torturing yourself; it's to make what life you have into such a blessing for others that what's remembered is your good, not your bad. It isn't my place to forgive you for what you did; that's the territory of the goddesses. But I will say this: I don't think that you are an evil person. If you want to atone, do it by living your life to help others."

"Wow, Link, I never knew you could be profound," Aurora commented, completely distracted from Avery.

Alexis gazed into Link's eyes as he spoke and continued even after he stopped. His words were beautiful to her; if she could accept them, she felt she would have a new life. But his words weren't the only things that were beautiful. His bright blue eyes, filled with courage, determination, compassion, and kindness were the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. She blinked and shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"Bit soon to be whispering sweet nothings in your first meeting, isn't it?" Avery commented offhandedly as he sat down across from Link and began filling a plate. Link immediately let go of Alexis's hand and glared at him.

"Don't make light of this, Avery," he said.

"What's done is done. No point in dwelling on it," was the idle response.

"You are _trying_ to make it impossible for Link to become your friend, aren't you, Scythe Boy?" Aurora demanded. Avery ignored her and chomped on a piece of bread.

"W-well," Alexis interrupted, trying to diffuse the situation, "I guess I should finish my introduction, right?" She took a breath. "I've been told that I'm one of two candidates for the new Seventh Sage. That's what Rauru said, anyway. The Princess is the other. So…that's why I'm being kept here in the Palace instead of…well…"

Avery raised an interested eyebrow. "One of two for next Sage?" he repeated, swallowing. "That's unusual. I'd heard about there being seven sages, and that at least one of them passed on so that there is a replacement, but… more than one vying for the job? Never heard of that possibility."

Alexis shrugged. "Neither had Rauru," she supplied. "He doesn't know any better than I do what's going on. Especially since the Seventh Sage is supposed to be a member of the Royal Family, which I'm not."

"Well, are you sure you weren't adopted?" Aurora speculated after a moment. "You could be a bastard – an actual bastard, I mean, an illegitimate child. Then you would be little miss Princess's half-sister, and it might make more sense."

Link hesitated, unsure of whether he should relay his companion's guess to the green-eyed girl. It was an offensive suggestion, to be sure – but if it were true, it would make the dual-inheritance of the Seventh Sage's powers understandable. Did he want to risk alienating and possibly hurting the girl he strongly suspected would become his friend (much as he strongly suspected that Avery would become his friend)? Did _why_ Alexis had the powers really matter enough to risk that? After careful consideration, he decided that no, he didn't, and no, it didn't.

"Huh," he said instead. "That is strange."

The four were silent as they began to eat (in the case of Link and Alexis) or continued eating (in the case of Avery) or watched the other three eat with a thoughtful expression (in the case of Aurora). They finished their rather sizable breakfasts at around the same time. Alexis turned to Avery.

"So…what about you? Could you introduce yourself to me? I haven't really met you before, just seen you."

"Me? Avery. I'm originally a foreigner, but I live in Hyrule now," he explained, leaning back in his seat and settling his face into its constant semi-scowl. "I work as a mercenary. I guard people; travelers, usually. The reason I'm a guest here is that I helped protect the Princess from that shade, the one they're calling Dark Link." He offered a hand, which she shook.

Link stood. "Well, my usual sparring partner isn't going to be available today," he said briskly. "Do either of you want to spar with me?

"Why not," Avery replied. "It's getting boring anyway."

"I'll come watch," Alexis added.

"And of course, I'll be right beside you!" Aurora finished cheekily.

Link grinned. "All right, then."

*  
Location: A dark alley in the streets of Castle City  
Time: Night of the seventy-seventh day of Summer (KAHII 35)

"Things are progressing well, then." The dark wizard smiled in the black shadow underneath his cloak. "Good," he purred in a deep voice.

Avery shifted uncomfortably. "Did you know about the girl?"

"Of course, my boy – I know all that matters for The Plan. The girl will play her part, most assuredly. As will the Princess. Both are needed alive for the time being. The foolish Battle Shade's attack on the Palace could not have been timed more perfectly. Now you are in the trust of the main players in this drama, and the idiot shade has taken his leave in an attempt to find the Dark Princess before me." The wizard laughed, causing a chill to run down Avery's spine.

"Master, I have a question. Why did the Sage of Light not reveal me to the others? I do not understand. He knows that I work for you – he dispelled the spell you placed on me and asked about a wizard of great power. But all he did was give a foolish admonishment to not waste my strength on false causes or some such." In the dim torchlight, Avery's face was clearly showing his perplexed thoughts.

The wizard laughed again. "Rauru is such an idealistic fool that not even the millennia can cure him of his belief that humanity is, at its base, good. I know this, which is why I placed the spell without fear of compromising our work. The Sage believes he can turn you away from me and to him. He would prefer to gain your strength than to destroy it."

A moment of silence passed between master and servant. Finally, the black magician broke it.

"The Hero of Blades will soon leave this place," he said. "You must accompany him. I have foreseen that the girl will join the two of you. Make first for Death Mountain. You must guide the Hero and the Sage Candidate in the search for the Dark Princess; do not let them know you do it. I will explore the other seals and continue to weaken them for my counterpart. If and when you have found the Dark Princess, alert me with this." The wrinkled and twisted hand produced a black crystal about two inches long and handed it to the human youth. Avery looked it over.

"What is the Hero to believe he is doing while we search for the Dark Princess?" he asked. "As of now, Link is directionless. He spends all his time training, waiting for destiny to reveal itself to him on its own."

"The Hero will think he is investigating the cause of the troubles that surround the mountain. And he will be. But he will also be unwittingly aiding you in your search. There are many things to keep his attention focused away from your activities."

Avery cleared his throat. "It will be as you say, master. But before I depart, I have one more question: What are my orders should I encounter Dark Link?"

"At all costs, keep him away from the Hero. If that fails, do not let the Hero be killed. He is not yet strong enough to defeat the shade. Use any means at your disposal to prevent conflict from arising or to drive the shade away if conflict occurs. Only as a last resort should you contact me – I wish to avoid arousing suspicion just yet. Now go. Deepen the trust that the Hero has for you: trust is the weak point of all Heroes."

"As you wish."

With that, Avery turned around the edge of the building, and in a puff of black smoke, Agahnim was gone.

*  
Location: Throne Room of the Royal Palace  
Time: Morning of the seventy-ninth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

"A messenger from Goron City of Death Mountain has arrived, your Highness," one of the guards at the large double-doors to the Throne Room reported, bowing to the King and Princess seated in the two thrones atop the stairs that led up to them. The carpet that covered the floor and stairs was blue, embroidered around the edges with purple, bearing a large (fifty feet by fifty feet) gold and red royal emblem. The stone walls of the 300 foot long, 150 foot wide, 40 foot high room were a simple gray, but they were adorned with colorful tapestries of gargantuan proportions detailing many historical and mythological events. The thrones themselves were large enough that they could have seated two people easily in each one, and though the seat and backs were cushioned with red and blue, the frame and arms were solid gold. The wall behind the thrones was decorated with a vast assortment of ornamental (but functional) weapons.

"Escort him in," King Armin II commanded, and the man bowed again before turning and exiting the room.

"A messenger direct from Goron City? It has been some time since we last had a Goron messenger other than the ambassador and his entourage or Big Brother Kodroga," the Princess commented quietly to her father. "Things outside must be progressing even faster than we thought."

"We shall see when the messenger delivers his message," returned the King. "There is no benefit to speculation."

A moment later the double doors opened again and a single bedraggled-looking Goron entered and walked up to the base of the stairs, bowing with some difficulty. It was some surprise to Zelda that the Goron managed to look bedraggled – the large creatures appeared to be made of some mottled brown rock, and they wore no clothing to become tattered. This particular Goron was neither remarkably small nor large for his kind, standing at about seven and a half feet. His eyes gave indication that he was severely wearied, a state that the ever-energetic Gorons were almost never seen in.

"Arise, brother Goron," Armin said in a voice of authority. "And speak your message."

The Goron came out of his awkward bow and addressed the Royal duo with a much-tired voice, rumbling exhaustedly. "Your Royal Majesties, King Armin and Princess Zelda of Hyrule, I bear a message to you from Big Brother and all of the Goron race," he began. "Like much of Hyrule, Death Mountain has been having increasing problems over the last year. It will surely come as no surprise to you that our sacred mountain has become infested with Tektites, Lizalfos, Dodongos, Magtails, and Toadpoli. But the level of infestation has risen beyond anything we could possibly expect, and has reached a point where it would be fair to say that we have nearly been overrun. To make matters worse, Death Mountain has begun to act strangely, erupting when it should not and spewing lava to places it should not. It has been all that we could manage to maintain our own city. Big Brother and the Elders are doing all they can to find a solution, but the Goron people have decided to send for aid. As Sworn Brother to Big Brother Kodroga, we hope that you will send us assistance, your Majesty." He held the King's gaze.

"In such perilous times, we could not afford to send many messengers, but I was not sent alone. My four companions did not survive the journey."

Silence prevailed.

"This is grave news," the King said at last. "We are most grieved to hear it. We will consider how best to help our friends the Goron people. In the meantime, we will have you given a place to rest and mourn, for you have been through much. Please make yourself at ease and take advantage of the resources available to you in our Palace." Armin gestured and one of the guards came up to stand beside the Goron, and the two walked out of the room.

"This is terrible," Zelda said as soon as the doors had shut once more. "With the preparations to secure ourselves and our towns and cities, we will have few resources to spare to send the Gorons."

"Then perhaps we shall not send many men," the King said slowly, "but rather send men of great import. One man, in particular, comes to mind." He turned his eyes on his daughter. "Is this not just the sort of task for which the Hero was chosen?"

"But to send him alone would be…" she trailed off, unsure of how to express her reservations.

"When was it said that we would send him alone?" King Armin asked. "Was not the human boy, Avery, a mercenary and guardian? The Sheikah who dwell in Kakariko, will they not aid him? We will send a regiment of Knights with him."

"It still seems to be risky, but I concede that as Hero, he has great hidden potential that does not make itself readily apparent in this time of lull. I bow to your decision, Father. I shall let those who need know know at once." She arose from her throne and curtsied to her father before turning and walking down the stairs.

Whether the Gorons would be happy with this small company would depend entirely on how successful it was.

*  
Location: Hyrule Castle  
Time: Afternoon of the eightieth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

Link looked at the items spread out across the table. Since he would be departing early the next morning, he was making sure he had all the supplies he wanted and organizing them. From left to right, he listed the tools and implements on the surface.

"Fifteen Deku Nuts, a bomb bag with ten bombs, an ancient bow, two quivers with thirty arrows each, the Arrow of Light, Falo's old sword and sheath as well as Faro's sheath (I left the broken sword in the tomb), an archery glove with the Royal Emblem, a blood-cleansing cloth, some souvenirs from the archery shop and city market, a flask of water, a backpack with various kinds of foods, four potion bottles (all refilled with red potion – that must have been expensive; a red potion runs over a hundred rupees), notes and paperwork for the Sheikah and Gorons, mountain-climbing equipment, and forty rupees in a wallet. That pretty much sums it up except for the swords, sheaths, clothes, and bottomless bag on me."

"Aren't you mister prepared," commented Avery from the other side of the room. "My money, my food, and my potions are all I carry aside from what I wear."

"Just because _you_ travel light doesn't mean it's a crime not to," Aurora pointed out. "And Link can afford to carry a lot – he has the bottomless bag."

Avery didn't answer.

"Stop ignoring me!" Aurora cried in exasperation. "What is this, some kind of game?"

The human's half-scowl twisted up at the edges in a small grin. Aurora sighed and threw her arms up in defeat.

As Link finished putting everything back in his pouch, he sat down beside the table on one of the chairs.

"Well…I guess we're really going to get started soon. I still find it amusing that the Crown hired you as a bodyguard for me after you mentioned the idea not too long ago."

Avery shrugged as he leaned against the wall. "My skills are appreciated," he said. "And we're walking into what is pretty much a death trap. The mountain is called Death Mountain during its happiest times; imagine what it is like now. You need help."

"I suppose," Link said, rubbing the side of his face absently. "But Zelda also set us up to travel with a small regiment of Knights that came back to the city recently. I heard we're going to be working with Sergeant Hawke and his group. I met them once before, they're good men; but the truth is, sending a Sergeant and four average Knights is basically a way of saying that they don't have anyone to send. If things get really bad, I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up having to protect them. After all, you're as good as a Captain, at least, and I'm getting close to Major level without the powers from Aurora and the Master Sword. Sergeant's the lowest officer rank, two ranks below Captain and three below Major." He sighed.

"Stop being so pessimistic," Aurora admonished him. "You're the Hero of Blades and the carrier of the Triforce of Courage. Show some of your famous determination."

"Sword has a point," Avery commented. "If anyone can handle it, you can."

"I guess I'm just…nervous about it," Link admitted. "You heard the description given by the messenger, right? If we have to fight through everything ourselves, we'll be up there forever. I have to find the cause of the monster outbreak and stop things at their source. That's –"

"No different than what you did at Lon Lon," Aurora interrupted, "just on a bigger scale. And believe it or not, you have improved quite a bit since then. You also have started being able to control some of my powers. You have the wreath under your command, and you can activate magnetism about half the time you try. 'Course, both of them require you to close your eyes in battle, so they can't be called complete mastery, but it's a huge step in the right direction. Be more confident in yourself!"

"Y-yes!"

The three turned to the doorway, where Alexis stood, leaning against the door jamb. She was breathing hard as though she had been running. Avery raised an eyebrow.

"Have you been sprinting?" he asked.

"Good for your health, I'm told, but what's the rush?" Aurora asked.

"Are you okay?" queried Link in concern.

The black-garbed girl straightened, ceasing leaning. She looked at Link and Avery indignantly.

"Were either of you planning to tell me that you were leaving?" she demanded, sounding a little hurt. "We've been spending the last few days together and you kept me in the dark! I didn't find out until Zelda accidentally said something about it!"

Link looked guiltily at Aurora. She raised her eyebrows.

"Don't look at me, Hero. If she were able to hear me, I'd have told her. I was the one who told you to just tell little miss Princess to shut it about keeping it a secret from Lexi. But noo," she rolled her eyes, "you have to follow orders like a good little subject."

"The Princess made us promise not to tell you," Avery explained, unabashed. "Something to do with not wanting you to try to get yourself killed in heroics to redeem yourself. Frankly, given the way you keep misinterpreting Link's words, I wouldn't be surprised if you would have tried that. Zelda doesn't want you going to Death Mountain with us. And unlike me, who is technically a foreigner and just works for pay as a mercenary, or Link, who is Hero and therefore exempt from a lot of the rules and restrictions of being a subject of Hyrule, you are a Hylian and subject to the Princess's orders."

"Did she order you not to go when you found out?" Aurora asked. Link relayed her question to the girl. Alexis nodded.

"Something about me needing to be protected because I might become the Seventh Sage," she said, her face clearly showing her displeasure. Then she winced, and she became downcast. "But I guess I can't complain," she said quietly. "After all, it's a miracle that I'm still living after what –"

"Didn't I say not to talk about that?" Aurora and Avery interrupted at the same time. The shocked expressions on their faces when they realized what they, who were constantly at each other's throats, had just done immediately brightened the mood and caused both Link and Alexis to burst into laughter. After the giggles had died out, Alexis sat down next to Link.

"So what are you two adventurers doing right now?" she asked.

_She really has changed a lot from the girl who was falling apart at the trial since we've been spending time with her, _Link thought to himself. _She's so friendly and open and straightforward._

"The packrat was organizing his things," Avery answered. "You should see how much he carries in that little pouch of his. Personally, I think we should carry everything in that handy bag rather than dividing up the supplies."

"I never opposed the idea," Link said defensively. "It was everyone else that balked. If you really want to put your stuff in my pouch, I'm not going to complain."

"Then we can transfer your rupees to Link's wallet!" declared Aurora. Avery scowled.

"I think not, Sword."

"I have a name!"

Alexis watched the human youth with a perplexed expression. "It always gets so confusing when he starts talking to Aurora."

"All the more reason not to," he muttered. Now it was Aurora's turn to scowl. Link just laughed.

From the shadows beside a suit of armor in the hallway, the scarcely visible Sheikah shook her head with a smile. It was heartening to see the once broken young girl getting along so well with her newfound friends. But the Sage candidate was going to be forced to remain at the Palace when the other two left, and who knew what effect that would have on the black-haired girl. For a brief moment, a pained expression flitted across Sharla's face as she remembered the brother she would never see again in this life. Then the unreadable "Sheikah face" was back, disguising any emotions she felt.

She carefully slipped out into the open and entered the room unnoticed. She was almost next to Avery before anyone realized she was there, and the human boy (as well as Alexis) gave a start that was quickly covered up.

"The Sage of Light wishes to speak to the Hero of Blades," she delivered, "and to the Sage candidate, separately."

They raised eyebrows and then shrugged, standing to follow to the Chamber of the Light.

*  
Location: Just outside of the city gates  
Time: Morning of the eighty-first day of Summer (KAHII 35)

The small company stood and surveyed the Hyrule Hills, looking toward the mountains in the distance. A small plume of ash rose from the top of one of them, identifying it as Death Mountain. To reach Kakariko at its base would take about a week, give or take a day or two depending on the circumstances. From then, they would have to climb the mountain itself and begin their real mission. They had determined that the safest and swiftest travel route lay in following along the river going upstream until they reached one of the small villages near one of the bridges and then cutting across the Hills to Kakariko.

Link briefly glanced around at his traveling companions. Wearing his traditional brown garb was Avery, standing at ease with his weapon sitting in his pocket and his backpack slung over the other shoulder while he scowled his little almost-scowl. Sergeant Hawke stood alert, his chainmail armor on and his sword at his side, his shield on his back along with his pack; his expression was one of focus and determination, his green eyes never once faltering in their gaze. The other four knights showed similar expressions, wearing their own chainmail (or breastplate, in the case of one of them) armor and their weapons at their sides or backs. A lone Sheikah had chosen to travel with them to ensure their safe connection with the Sheikah in Kakariko, his face completely masked by his uniform. He alone carried no pack.

"Are you ready to leave, Link?" the Sergeant asked after a long moment.

With one glance backward at the city, he turned forward and began to walk. "Yes, sir," Link responded. "Let's make haste to help the Gorons."

**END CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

**COMING NEXT IN CHAPTER FIFTEEN: ILL-WARDED**

As the group travels onward, monsters appear to leave them alone. That is, until one fateful night…


	16. Ill warded

**Notes**: Return of the mysterious man! (Who, if you know your Zelda games, you should have no doubts about his identity: Yes, you are correct, iwish.) Also, MOBLINS! *Cough* Look, just read it, okay? Anyhow, the end gets a little hectic and has some strange, unexplained happenings. Ooooh.

**Previous Chapter Summary**: Alexis has a frightening dream in which she feels responsible for the deaths of Link and Avery. In that dream, she is offered a choice between a golden triangle and a purple orb. Afterward, she meets with Link and Avery and initiates a friendship with them over the next few days. A Goron, sent from Death Mountain by Big Brother Kodroga, asks for the help of the Hylians in dealing with the problem of being overrun by monsters and dealing with a acting-out volcano. Link, along with Avery as a bodyguard, is sent with a Sheikah and Sergeant Hawke's group to head to Death Mountain. Alexis is ordered by Zelda to remain behind. Before they leave, Rauru tells Link and Alexis a few things in private.

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Ill-warded**

Location: Interior of Death Mountain; Bowels of the Volcano  
Time: Mid-day of the eighty-third day of Summer (KAHII 35)

In times long past, there were six temples built across the land of Hyrule. The first, the Temple of Time, was built by the Hylians around the primary entry point from the Mortal Realm to the Sacred Realm, where the Sage of Light stood guard over it. It was around this place that the capital of Hyrule was built. The second, the Shadow Temple, was built by the Sheikah as a commemoration and remembrance of the sacrifices and cruelties of the Founding War of Hyrule, and placed near one of the secret homes of the Sheikah. A Hylian settlement named Kakariko sprang up nearby. The third, the Forest Temple, was built by the creatures of the Forest themselves to honor nature's reflection of the goddesses' power, situated deep in a sacred place hidden inside the depths of the Lost Woods. Here a maze grew up to hold back those unworthy to enter. The fourth, the Spirit Temple, was constructed by the strongest of the desert peoples, the Gerudo, in reverence of the goddesses, who had guided them to survive against all odds. They called this temple, built to resemble a goddess, the Goddess in the Sand. The fortress of the Gerudo was built some distance away, so that those who wished to worship must first brave the trials of the desert itself. The fifth, the Water Temple, the Zora built underneath Lake Hylia were only those with magical protection or the Zora themselves could reach it, wrought to safeguard the largest collection of water in the land. No settlement sprang up nearby, as the creatures of the lake fiercely guarded it with unchallenged might. The sixth and final temple, the Fire Temple, the mighty Gorons chiseled in the depths of the volcano known as Death Mountain, while they lived nearer the outside of the mountain. A place to test their mettle and honor the strength of Din, it was this last temple that remained in use the longest, and as such became the only temple that did not crumble into ruins with the passage of time. The Temple of Time was absorbed into the Palace as the Chamber of the Light; the Shadow Temple was abandoned by the Sheikah in favor of new places to remember; the Forest Temple became mere background for Saria's special spot; the Goddess in the Sand returned to the sand once more; and the Water Temple was worn away into an unrecognizable danger-snare filled with underwater threats of enormous magnitude. The Fire Temple, however, still dwelt at the heart of Death Mountain, and became a place for the Big Brother of the Gorons to commune with Darunia, who had become one with the ageless volcano.

And so it was that Big Brother Kodroga sat at the entrance to the temple, upon the Fire Platform, the smooth stone bearing the symbol of fire, in a meditative trance. All around him lava roiled and surged, threatening to rise up over him and wash him into the endless sea of red. The loud and violent rumblings of the mountain foretold another eruption was soon to come, one that would snuff out the life of the Goron despite his immense resistance to heat should he not vacate the bowels of the volcano beforehand. Unmoved, the mighty Goron, who was almost nine and a half feet tall when he stood, remained seated in his trance. He was yet again attempting to divine the source of the mountain's pain and unrest, unsuccessful though he had been for the last nine months. It was difficult even in normal circumstances to communicate directly with the mountain spirit, the Sage of Fire, and in times like these it was near impossible.

So intent was the Big Brother of the Gorons on his task that he didn't notice when a great bearded red lizard about two-thirds his size wielding a simple short sword leapt up behind him and raised its weapon to attack. Only the sound of the Dinalfos' cry as it was cut cleanly in two with a single swift stroke brought his attention back from his attempt at reaching Darunia to his surroundings. Standing, he turned swiftly to face any threat, his fists at the ready. His rough features changed from wariness to surprise, however, upon seeing the one who had so easily slain the veteran Lizard.

A young-looking man with blond hair and startlingly deep blue eyes that instantly caused the Goron to doubt the Hylian's age stood before him, sword slack at his left side. The man wore a brown tunic, which currently had red lines of magic running down and around it in mystic patterns, a medium-sized pouch, and a sword sheath on his back. Despite the heat, there were only a few beads of sweat on the Hylian's skin, which lead Kodroga to believe that the magic on his tunic protected him nearly as well as a Goron was protected. By the man's head a blue light with wings, a fairy, circled.

"Big Brother of the Gorons?" the man asked calmly, but loudly enough that he was heard over the sounds of the volcano.

Kodroga nodded. "That's right," he rumbled. "I'm Big Brother Kodroga of the proud Goron people. Did King Armin send you?" The Hylian shook his head.

"No, I'm afraid not. Those he sent are currently in transit. They should arrive at Kakariko in a few days. I came of my own accord." He looked around sadly at the volcano, which was teeming with Tektites and Dodongos in the upper edges, away from the lava. "Death Mountain is truly in a distressing state," he remarked, a note of pain in his voice.

"Forgive my directness," Kodroga said, not sounding apologetic at all, "but who are you?"

"I? I am a traveling swordsman, Big Brother. I have traveled Hyrule for many years." A faint smile crept across his face. "I go where there is need of me. I came to ask the Sage of Fire about his lands…but it appears that things are far worse than I had thought." The smile faded, replaced by a look of concern. "Have you been able to contact Darunia?" he asked.

The Goron shook his head. "No," he replied. "Not these last three seasons." The concern deepened to worry on the Hylian's face. Seeing this, Kodroga nodded. "Yes, it is deeply troubling," he said. "We cannot even find out the cause of his pains."

"Would you allow me to try?" the man asked. The Goron stepped away from the platform and gestured for him to go ahead. After ridding it of blood and sheathing his sword, the blond Hylian assumed the same stance as he had in the Chamber of the Light, his fairy companion seating herself atop his head. For twenty long minutes, none of the three of them moved. Suddenly, with a sharp cry, the tunic-wearing man leapt to his feet and stumbled backward.

"What is it?" shouted the fairy.

"What happened?" Kodroga asked.

"This…that…thank the goddesses I got here before those from the City," the Hylian managed, his eyes wide. "This is even worse than Rauru predicted." He turned to the Goron, once more in control of himself.

"Big Brother, I managed to briefly connect with Darunia," he began. "And the situation is much more severe than it even appears." This news caused the normally staid Goron to narrow his eyes in concern. It was _already_ bad enough that the rock-people were barely holding out. "You must not come down here to the Temple again until the matter has been resolved, or you may forfeit your life. Gather your people and make sure that the passages to the surface and depths of the mountain, save for the main entrance, are blocked. Barricade yourselves inside and await those sent by the King." It was with no small amount of surprise that the Goron found himself accepting the orders of this stranger without question. "The group he has sent is small, but it includes the new Hero, the Hero of Blades. He and his companions will help you without fail. But until then, don't do anything reckless – this night hasn't reached the darkest point before the dawn yet."

The Goron nodded, wondering why he was so readily taking this man's words to be truth. Perhaps it had something to do with the Hylian's eyes, he thought. But that wasn't all of it. There was just something about him that almost commanded the Goron to trust him. The Big Brother of the Gorons curled into a ball and rolled for the secret passage back to Goron City.

After he was gone, the fairy floated down in front of her partner's face.

"What did you find out?" she asked him.

He shook his head grimly. "Darunia," he said, "is dying. Since his spirit is merged with the mountain itself, anything which affects his spirit affects the mountain. And that's just what is happening."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," he said slowly, "that this isn't just the weakening of the seals. It's a direct attack on the Sages themselves."

*  
Location: Hyrule Field; Hyrule Hills  
Time: Late Evening of the eighty-third day of Summer (KAHII 35)

"Are we stopping already?" Link asked the Sergeant.

"Yes. We have to pace ourselves; we're lucky we haven't run into any monsters these first three days. I don't want to press on too hard or we won't have the energy to repel a monster attack of any reasonable size," he answered in his deep voice, removing his pack to begin setting up camp. The other Knights followed suit, as did Avery. Link frowned but didn't reply.

"Moving more slowly than you do on your own?" Aurora noted. "It's frustrating, but perhaps necessary if we don't want the others to become a burden to us. To be honest, I'm a bit surprised we haven't run into any monsters yet." She furrowed her multicolored brows. "Something seems a little off about that. I mean, sure, we're going along the river instead of straight through the hills, but even so we should have run into _something_. One person alone might be able to escape notice, but this many is a walking target. It's almost as though something is warding them off."

Link nodded. "I know what you mean, Aurora. I get the same feeling." He wandered over to the riverside and looked down at the roaring current. There was an abrupt drop-off of about ten feet before the water's surface. They had been walking with the river to their left; they were on the south side of the river and traveling almost due east. According to Hawke, they would hit the bridge they were aiming for (they had already passed a few minor ones) sometime during the next day. Link blinked in the spray of the waters.

"Something bothering?" the almost inaudible voice of the Sheikah accompanying them whispered from right behind him. Link whirled around, heart beating frantically.

"Farore!" he exclaimed. "Don't do that! Do you Sheikah even _know_ how to initiate conversation without giving the other person a heart attack?"

The red-brown eyes of the Sheikah, the only part of him (or her, for all Link knew, but since he couldn't distinguish any lumps that might have been caused by breasts in the uniform he assumed that the Sheikah was male) that was visible, betrayed nothing.

"Why do they keep doing that?" demanded Aurora. "It makes me feel like I'm somehow not as alert as I should be."

"Anyway," Link said, his heart beginning to slow down, "yes. I'm worried about the lack of enemies. With all that's been going on, shouldn't we have at least _seen_ something by now? Aurora mentioned, and I agree, that it's as if something is warding them away."

There was a short silence, and then the Sheikah whispered, "I agree," before wandering off.

"What's _with_ him?" Aurora asked. "He never says more than two words at a time. Not like Arlon" – a brief, sad pause – "or Sharla. And he whispers all the time. He never shows his face at all. He bugs me."

Link shrugged, turning back toward the water and lying down, his feet almost at the edge of the bank. The sun was falling lower in the sky. He let his mind wander and his thoughts drift as he closed his eyes…

*  
He jerked awake suddenly, sitting bolt upright. It was dark; he must have slept for at least several hours. The stars and moon were obscured by clouds that had moved in, so he could barely see in front of him. Aurora rubbed her eyes sleepily as she sat up beside him. He was completely alert; it reminded him of the time before his very first life-or-death battle back on the Rolling Plains. His sixth sense, his danger sense, had awoken him; of this he was sure. But all was quiet, and he couldn't see at all. The small fire that had been lit back at the main camp (he knew that they had lit one because they had the previous two nights) had gone out. His ears twitched as he listened hard for any sign of what was coming.

"Wha' is it?" Aurora murmured sleepily. She had awoken solely because he had, not because she had sensed anything. It was one of the peculiar things he had discovered about her – she needed sleep, like he did. However, although she could fall asleep and wake up independently, she also woke up whenever he did because of the bond.

When he didn't answer, Aurora fell silent as well and focused on listening. Then she got an idea.

"Link," she whispered. "I'm going to go into the Sword of Souls. Use the light from my gem to get a look around." Without waiting for a response, she did as she had said.

He rocketed to his feet and spun around, his swords ringing from his sheaths as he did. In the light of the sword, his vision range extended to about forty feet. He quickly scanned over the sleeping bodies of his companions. Off to one side, Avery slept on his left, his hand next to the hilt of his weapon. Off to the other, the Sheikah lay silently. In the center the five Knights slept in their armor.

_Wait a minute,_ he realized, _that shouldn't be. Someone should have been on watch. And for the fire to have gone out, it must have been a while since the last watch. With a group as disciplined as the Knights, no one should have fallen asleep on the job._

_Link,_ Aurora said slowly, _look at the Sheikah. Is he really sleeping? He looks too…relaxed. I saw him sleeping last night, and his body was slightly tensed, kind of like Avery's is right now. But…_

Slowly, Link advanced toward the Sheikah, his danger sense warning him that something was seriously wrong. When he stood a mere three feet away, he stiffened, his eyes widened, and his ears twitched. There was a faint, almost inaudible hum…

Link threw himself to the side, and a thin black line whooshed quietly through the space where his chest had been. He glanced around quickly at the place where it had come from, and he caught a glimpse of two pinpricks of light, like glowing eyes, before they vanished.

_What was that?_ he said mentally. _It looked like it shot magic._

_I won't be able to make a guess until I can see it,_ Aurora responded. _Are you going to wake the others?_

He caught a glimpse in his peripheral vision and jumped aside once again, another black line streaking through his previous location from a completely different direction. He spun to face it, only to see the two pinpricks vanish as soon as he laid eyes on them. He dashed over to Avery and dropped, avoiding a third attack from yet another direction. He shoved his friend roughly with the hilts of his swords. Avery's eyes snapped open and Link barely dodged the scythe's attack as the boy lashed out while leaping to his feet.

"What? Link?" the human said, recognizing who had woken him. "What's going on?"

Link jumped into him, knocking him sideways and back to the ground as another black line rushed by. Avery's eyes widened when he saw it.

"Wizrobe," he whispered, shoving Link off and getting to his feet again. Link arose also and stood beside him.

"Should we wake the others?" he asked Avery. Avery shook his head.

"Can't. They're ensorcelled. We managed to resist because we have strong souls," he replied at normal volume. The need for silence and stealth was gone.

"Then why didn't it attack while we were all asleep?" Link asked as they dodged another attack.

"Probably because that wasn't its mission," Avery replied, moving away from Link. "Wizrobes aren't like goblins. They're smart. They're users of black magic that often work as part of a unit."

"Are we being attacked by more than one?" Another dodge.

"No, it's just teleporting around. Attacking in the dark gives it the best advantage it could ask for. If you notice, it attacks at fairly regular intervals because of the time it takes to cast the spell. The teleport takes almost no time at all. If you could attack it when it was casting, that would be ideal, but using darkness as a cover and then teleporting makes that almost impossible. It's deliberately making sure it's beyond our field of vision. Clever bastard."

_Wait,_ Aurora said. _It stopped attacking._

Avery realized it at the same time. He looked slightly puzzled, and then his mouth opened in a small "oh" of shock.

"Damn it!" he swore. "Link, run away from the camp in the direction opposite me! It's going to use an area attack!" He took off downriver like a shot. Link hesitated only briefly before charging upriver. Two seconds later, a ball of red-orange fire exploded in a twenty-foot diameter sphere – centered ten feet behind Link. The back of his tunic caught on fire and he stumbled to the ground.

_Roll it away!_ Aurora yelled. _Roll! Then when it's out, let's tear this Wizrobe to shreds!_

Rolling to his right, he continued until he had smothered the flames. Once back to his feet, he turned downriver and glanced to his left, spotting torches atop a hill in the distance, twelve of them. He shut his eyes and felt the familiar heat and coolness on his hands, and when he opened them Aurora's blade was covered in crackling lightning. He stood, ready.

A sharp, pained cry from further downriver caused him to run. He passed by the sleepers and continued until Avery was in sight. The situation he saw made him grit his teeth in anger.

Avery lay on the ground, clutching at his chest, his eyes wide and his face a mask of pain. A smoking hole was burned through his clothes, the wound cauterized by the dark missile that had caused it. The human was twitching uncontrollably as though having a minor seizure. He made no sound, and from the frozen expression on his face, Link wasn't even sure he was conscious.

_The magic monster isn't getting away with this!_ Aurora howled. _Scythe Boy is my arguing partner! I won't have any mage abomination trying to kill him! Come, Link, let us do battle!_

_ You have that right!_

Link's heart pounded rapidly and hard, making him feel as though his chest were shaking with each beat. As he scanned around for the tell-tale pinpricks, he felt the back of his left hand grow hot, and the Master Sword began to glow.

It began as a pale pink, quickly blossoming into an angry red. A tendril of magic reached out from the red blade and began to wrap around it, wreathing the sword in spiral crimson flames. Another dark line shot toward him, and he raised the Master Sword instinctively to block instead of dodging as he had every other time. The instant the black hit the wreath of flames, it burst into shards of golden light and scattered itself in all directions, briefly lighting up an area nearly three times as large as that lit by Aurora. Link instantly spotted the Wizrobe as it vanished and reappeared some sixty feet in front of him. He charged.

The Wizrobe came back into view as Link closed in on it. It was human-sized, wearing a long black robe with a hood that covered its head, but a large beak protruded from where its face should have been. It hovered above the ground as it moved its arms in complicated motions to complete the casting of its spell. It never had the chance.

Link slashed in downward diagonals across it with both swords, like an X. The lightning and fire cut through the robed creature as though it weren't there. It gave a low-pitched shriek of pain and vanished in a puff of smoke. Whirling to his right, Link spun like a hurricane and the fires of the Master Sword mixed with the lightning of the Sword of Souls as both of his marks burned, one hot, the other cold. He continued to spin faster until his blades were a blur of fire and lightning, his movement completely out of his control. The air hummed and crackled loudly as he kept spinning.

There was a chorus of guttural shouts from the direction of the torches, and the torches began to move in a thundering charge down the distant hill. He had been seen. Not that it made any difference to Link, who was rapidly losing control of not only his body but also his thought processes. He was so dizzy that he was having difficulty thinking at all, the hum and crackle of his swords establishing itself as a base-line in his mind, focusing it solely on his justified anger and determination to eradicate his enemy.

_Thrum! _Avenge Avery's injury. _Crack!_ Destroy the Wizrobe. _Hum!_ Defend Avery! _Snap!_ Defeat the foe!

Through the haze, he felt his heart pound. He could hear Aurora echoing his own thoughts almost as a mantra. The colors blurred in front of him. His blood rushed through his veins. His eyes snapped shut just as a column of orange flames appeared ten feet above his head and began rushing down to meet him; and everything stopped.

*  
Location: Sword of Souls?  
Time: A single instant in the battle with the Wizrobe

The swirling, ephemeral sea of colors greeted Link as he slowly opened his eyes. He was, as before, baffled as to why he had returned to this place. Not only had his intentions been even more different than before, but his state of mind had not been remotely similar. He shook his head, which was remarkably clear in comparison to the single-minded haze he had just been in. He lowered his hand to the hilt of the Master Sword at his side, and his eyes widened in silent surprise at what he saw.

The entirety of the Master Sword was glowing pure gold. When his left hand touched it, a searing pain ran up his arm, and he quickly withdrew it. The pain did not subside. Bewildered and in agony, he ripped the Blade of Evil's Bane from its sheath. The space through which it moved was tinged with a trail of glittering gold. He stumbled forward, and the entire place, along every plane, rippled and became suffused with a golden light.

When the light subsided, so did the pain, and he found himself standing in front of the altar for a third time. With his right hand, he double-checked that the Sword of Souls was indeed absent from its scabbard. Cautiously (and with no small amount of confusion) he stepped closer to the altar. He looked it up and down. It appeared as it had the first time he had seen it – a foot-high lowest layer with six large indents, another foot-high middle layer with names carved into it, and a third foot-high top layer with the giant version of Aurora's central gemstone.

He glanced at the Master Sword in his left hand, still glowing with its golden light.

_Perhaps, _he thought, attempting to make sense of the situation, _this time is different because the Master Sword is interfering?_ For surely this time was different. Pain had not existed here the previous two visits, nor had the ripple of his footstep been replicated in all three dimensions. The golden light shed by the sword was also a new addition.

He reached his right hand toward the gem, but at the last moment, he paused.

"No," he said aloud. "No, I won't simply go along with it. I may be the Hero, but I am not merely a tool of destiny." His perplexed expression slowly melded into a grin. "Aurora would never forgive me if I didn't attempt to investigate this." He withdrew his hand and walked carefully around to the other side of the altar, examining it from every direction. When his study turned up nothing new, he decided to instead focus on the one other thing of interest – the Master Sword. After all, hadn't he and Aurora wanted to figure out what it did so badly?

Link gave a few practice swings at the air, watching the gold line that followed the tip of the blade. On a whim, he reached out and grabbed at the glittering after-effect with his right hand. The reaction was immediate.

In an explosion of light, he felt himself blasted backwards, hurtling through the colored space and away from the altar. After what felt like nearly a minute, he landed on his back and skidded through the transient, intangible pastel rainbows to a halt. After a moment of catching his breath, he climbed to his feet and looked around.

"Aurora!" he cried.

Not fifty feet away from where he stood, a solid, non-transparent Aurora stood frozen in place, her unmoving face reflecting the emotions he had sensed from her before he had been transported into this land of colors. Her arms were spread out directly to either side, and her feet pointed downward as though she were on tiptoe. But the most stunning thing about her appearance was that she was covered in chains.

Thick, black chains wrapped around her arms, her legs, and the rest of her body. They extended outward from her body in numerous directions, the ends disappearing amidst the swirling colors, as though she were not only bound, but bound _to_ something. Running closer, Link saw that there were a total of eighty chains extending out from her body. All were pitch black, but some were lined with other colors as well – red, green, purple, yellow, orange, blue, and white. In fact, it seemed that there perhaps ten of each color, the rest unmarked. He stopped in front of her and stared.

_What does this mean?_

Resisting the urge to immediately try to free her from the chains, he carefully examined them without touching her. He quickly decided that his initial estimate of numbers was correct – ten of each color and ten unmarked. But not all chains were the same length or thickness. Of the colored ones, each set had one thin chain, followed by four of moderate thickness and length, and five extra-thick, extra-long, chains. The white-marked several of the white-marked chains appeared to be deteriorating. The thinnest was almost ready to break. All of the other color-lined chains seemed to be strong and sturdy. Of the pure black chains, only one had weakened.

"What… what is this…?" Link whispered. There was no uncertainty about his location now. This was inside the Sword of Souls. But just what was this? What was he seeing? His mind raced.

Suddenly he blinked. "Magic… the magic of the wizard who bound the Sword of Souls' power. Each color… Red, for fire. Green, for forest. Purple, for darkest night. Yellow, for the sun itself. Orange, for the sands. Blue, for the waters. White…" He frowned. "White…" He paused and shook his head. Then he nodded. "White, for those powers of the sacred bird." He paused, then frowned again.

"But that can't be right," he said, puzzled. "Aurora said he was unable to affect the center stone. And then there are the ten pure black irons. But… otherwise, it fits." He shook his head. "I'm missing something," he decided. "I'm missing an important piece of the puzzle. Aurora told me everything she knows, but she didn't know about this place even though she's here. Something… there's something that I don't know that explains this. Something Aurora doesn't know. Something that no one save the goddesses themselves may know." He set his face in a determined expression. "But I swear I'll find out what it is."

"And I'll free Aurora from these black bindings. I can start doing that one right now!"

He reached out suddenly with his right hand and grasped the thin white-marked chain. The back of his hand grew very cold and the chill threatened to sweep up his arm, but he secured his grip and pulled hard. The chain snapped and vanished, absorbed into the color stream. A sudden glimpse of the lightning wreath flashed through his mind. The gold of the Master Sword faded slightly, causing him to glance down in surprise. He reached out and gripped one of the medium white ones, one which appeared more weakened than the others, and did the same. This time, the chill shot up his arm as he struggled to pull, and for a short while he felt that his arm would turn into a solid block of ice. With a mighty tug, it too shattered and dissolved into the air, accompanied by a mental image of the lightning magnetism. The gold faded a great deal more and began to dim.

He hesitated. He strongly suspected he would get only one more try before the gold disappeared entirely from the Master Sword. He was unsure of what would happen at that point. He reached for the weakened black chain and wrapped his hand around it.

An unexpected wave of freezing cold encompassed his entire body, and he almost let go. The cold was rapidly sapping his strength, but he pulled for all he was worth.

"I am not giving in now!" he snarled at the cold. "I will not stop! I am not a coward nor a weakling, and once I have made my decision, I will not shy away!"

With one final heave, the chain snapped. This time, no mental image accompanied the disappearance of the remains of the bindings. Instead, when the gold vanished from the sword entirely Link was sent flying again, just as he had been to reach Aurora. When he landed, he was once more beside the altar. He shivered. The cold had not entirely left him, and he had nearly been bled dry of his energy reserves. After sheathing the Master Sword, he used the altar as leverage to pull himself to his feet.

"Well," he said wryly, "if it's energy I need, I know where to get it," and slammed both hands down onto the gemstone. Lightning surged up out of the clear rock and danced around his body as the expected energy violently ran through him up both arms and ricocheted back and forth around his limbs. His eyes blinked shut.

*  
Location: Hyrule Field; Hyrule Hills  
Time: Night of the eighty-third day of Summer (KAHII 35)

And when he opened them again, he was still spinning madly like a fire and lightning ringed top. There was a quick series of overlapping thunderclaps as a rough dome of thick multi-colored lightning formed around him in an instant, lightning up the landscape hundreds of yards in every direction. The falling column of fire from the Wizrobe's spell broke against the dome and was shredded into nothingness. Though the swordsman was spinning far too fast to make out any distinct images, the illumination revealed the situation to another.

Fifty feet west of Link, the black-robed Wizrobe had just completed its spell and was preparing to teleport when a small dark figure fell upon it, driving a long dagger coated with violet light quickly and with precision into three vital spots in almost the same instant. It gave a wail of pain and despair, and it burst into jet black flames, burning away into nothingness. Beside the spot where it had once floated stood the black-garbed form of a young girl, holding a still-glowing dagger in her right hand in reverse grip. Her green eyes flashed as she took in the rest of the scenario.

Quickly approaching from the south, though still some three hundred feet away, was a group of twelve large creatures, the likes of which she had never seen before. Even at this distance, she could tell that they must stand around nine feet tall. Though they were semi-goblinoid in appearance, their faces also resembled deformed anthropomorphic pigs. Each was holding a torch in one hand and a giant curved sword or a massive spear in the other. They were covered from neck to toe in thick, heavy chainmail armor, deliberately crafted to fit the giant monsters. Unlike the individualistic and gangly human-sized Bokoblins she had heard about, or the short green horned boar-riding tribal Bulblins Link had mentioned, these creatures looked like a unit of soldiers. With a pang of horror, she realized what they were.

Moblins.

Moblins were the pinnacle of the goblin-kind, created millennia ago in the image of the great Evil King's monstrous form to serve him as his army. They were not a product of nature like the other goblins. Born directly of the corrupted magics of the Triforce of Power, the weakest of them were at least equals to the rank-and-file of the Knights of Hyrule. They were creatures of pure evil. Not many of them still roamed the inhabited lands of Hyrule, and so much of the details of the identity of the Moblins had been lost. What was common knowledge, however, is that these creatures were the creatures of nightmares and the monsters of children's tales, possessing immense strength and cruelty.

Her eyes swept back to those nearer her. Link, protected by his dome of electricity, still whirled at speeds he could never have achieved of his own volition. To the left, closer to the river, Avery still twitched on the ground spastically. And further forward, the other six members of the traveling party still slumbered in magically-induced unconsciousness. Her eyes widened. Without a miracle, this was going to end with everyone dead.

Slipping the thin blade into her clothes, the light dying away, she rushed for Avery. Upon arrival, she immediately fell to her knees and began searching through his belongings. In a few seconds, she had found what she was looking for – a red potion. Wrenching the cork free of the bottle, she leaned hard on top of him to hold him still and pulled his mouth open, pouring the contents down his throat. He stopped moving. For five, desperate seconds, the girl waited anxiously, and then the human boy coughed.

"Alexis?" he croaked. "What are you –" He interrupted himself and sat upright, knocking the former assassin to the side. "The Wizrobe!" he cried.

"I killed it," she answered quickly, "but we've got a bigger problem." She gestured to the oncoming Moblins as she and the human youth stood.

"Mob…" he said in astonishment, his voice trailing off. He ground his teeth. "You cunning bastard," he growled quietly. Then his eyes fell on Link, and they widened.

"What in the world?"

Six Moblins had broken off from the others, half carrying swords and half carrying spears, and were fast approaching Link. The closest was merely fifteen feet away when the boy and girl heard Link's voice yell, "Duck!" Without question, the two fell flat, and the next instant they watched in amazement at the impossible scene that unfolded before them.

With another bang of thunder, the dome vanished and the lightning and flames that wreathed the Ordon villager's weapons leapt from their origins and spread out in an ever-widening circle of death. The fire and lightning ring shot out from him in all directions with astounding speed, not stopping or dissipating until its radius from him, the center point, had reached nearly fifty feet. All six of the Moblins were caught in its path, the magical energy searing through them as though they were made of paper. With howls of pain, they fell to the ground, lifeless to the last.

Link's spin slowed, and with an exhausted sigh, he toppled over unconscious. Alexis and Avery leapt up, weapons at the ready, and ran to intercept the remaining half dozen Moblins. As they did, the sleepers began to stir as the magic finally wore off.

With a wicked-sounding grunt, one of the Moblins raised its sword to cut the downed Link in two. Avery's chain shot forward and wrapped around the weapon, halting its downward slice. It looked toward him with its piggy eyes, and the girl training for stealth and acrobatics leapt up onto the chain and ran up its arm, leaping high and driving the long dagger, whose edge had once more flared with violet light, down hard through the unprotected skull of the creature. Immediately leaping off and leaving Avery to disentangle himself, she landed on all fours like a cat and scrambled behind a second one that had approached and attempted to impale her with its spear.

Realizing that they were under attack, the Sheikah and Hylian Knights had quickly stood and armed themselves to defend against the onslaught by the other four, which had directed their attention on the former sleepers. Hawke found himself locked in combat and on almost equal footing with a sword-wielding Moblin who swung its torch as a secondary weapon. The two Knights who specialized with swords engaged a second sword-Moblin, while the archer and variable-fighter took on one wielding a spear. The Sheikah used an assortment of throwing knives and daggers to strike at and dance around the final Moblin, which also used a spear.

As Alexis twisted and dodged, attempting to find an opening in her opponent's armor, Avery worked rapidly to free with weapon from the Moblin that he and Alexis had downed together. Because the Moblin had fallen at an awkward angle and landed on top of its weapon, this was considerably more difficult than it should have been. Upon his eventual success, he moved toward Alexis's current enemy, swinging and whirling his scythe in complex patterns. While the blade of his weapon was unable to penetrate the all-covering armor of the Moblin, he did succeed in distracting the beast. It thrust at him, and he easily sidestepped, never letting up on his assault, scoring several gashes across the brute's snout. It hurled its torch in frustrated pain, and while the human mercenary was able to dodge that as well, the grass at his feet burst into flames.

"Damn pig of hell," Avery snarled as he leapt backward and changed his objective to putting out the rapidly spreading fire. Link was still lying unconscious not that far away. If the fire reached him while the battle still raged, there was no saving him. The Moblin took advantage of his distraction to return its attention to the black-garbed girl attempting to attack its joints. It swept its spear sideways, clipping her as she ducked to avoid it and sending her sprawling. Raising its weapon triumphantly with a piggish grin, it drove it point downward into the ground where she had been the instant before. Frowning in confusion, it swung its head to find its prey, and Alex leapt upon its lowered face, driving her violet-wreathed blade directly between its eyes. Ripping her weapon back out, she jumped away as it crashed heavily to the ground.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Hawk was finding himself making no progress against what he feared might be the leader (or at least the strongest and smartest) of the group. Already he was sporting several nasty wounds from the wicked curved blade of his opponent, and he had yet to score a hit that actually did more than glance off the beast's armor. His shield was relegated to warding blows from the torch that the Moblin held in its right hand. He had learned the hard way that his physical strength was no match for the monster's; his sword arm was almost numb from the impact of blocking the sword blows of his opponent. The officer's speed was certainly better than the goblin's, but when every ten connecting blows (which only bounced off the impervious armor of the fiend) were returned in the form of one connecting slice that caused blood to spray from a new injury, the advantage proved of little benefit.

Each team of two Knights found themselves in slightly better circumstances than their leader. Because they had the advantage of numbers, they could effectively divide the attention of their enemies. The team with the archer was the first to fell their opponent with two well-placed arrows to the head. It hadn't been as easy as it might have seemed, however, because the Moblin had an extremely thick skull that had rendered the slightly angled original few shots useless. Once they had won, they joined their comrades, and the other monster died relatively quickly.

The Sheikah, like the Sergeant, found his opponent to be a challenge, but being schooled in the Sheikan arts gave him a distinct advantage. He remained at range, twisting and running whenever his opponent got too close. Like Alexis, he was an expert at avoiding getting hit, but he was older than the girl and had considerably more experience with it. After blinding the spear-toting Moblin, it was only a matter of piercing its skull with enough sharp implements to cause it to die.

Sergeant Hawke was the last one still fighting. Finally, he tried a desperate gambit. He lunged closer, letting the wicked blade cut into his side, and thrust his sword upward with all his strength through the chin and into the head of his opponent. With an unearthly howl, the Moblin toppled over backwards, ripping the officer's weapon out of his hand and carrying it with it. Hawke collapsed to his knees.

The fallen torches of the dead Moblins were quickly put out, along with the grass that had blazed up. There was a short silence as darkness once again reigned supreme.

"Is everyone alive?" Hawke asked weakly.

"Sir."

"Aye."

"Yessir."

"Still breathing."

"Of course," whispered the Sheikah.

"I am," Avery responded, "and so is Link, but he's out of it. I think the Triforce unleashed some kind of power from him that drained him before you all woke up. It took out the other six Moblins; there were originally twelve of them. And we've got another member: Alexis, from the Palace."

"Er…" she said in a small voice.

"A dozen?" cried one of the knights.

"We had this much trouble with half a dozen! There's no way we could ever have taken on twelve of them!" another added.

"And that's not all," Avery continued darkly. "There was a Wizrobe advance soldier. Link, Alexis, and I took it out before the Moblins got here. It's why you were all asleep; it had cast some kind of sleeping magic on all of us, but Link and I weren't affected and Alexis hadn't gotten here yet."

There was a short silence.

"That's no random monster party," Hawke said softly as he continued to bleed. "That's a strike team."

"You mean…we were deliberately targeted?" the archer asked.

"Someone doesn't want us to get where we're going," the last of the knights noted.

In the darkness, the only one who saw the dark frown on Avery's face was the Sheikah. The human boy was mentally echoing Dark Link's words to him in the Palace.

_What the hell is Agahnim playing at?_

**END CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

**COMING IN CHAPTER SIXTEEN: DREAMS**

A Goron dreams of a life different from the traditional life of his people. Two people dream together, surprised to encounter another mind inside their sleep. The dreams of a wicked lord begin to be put in action. And a certain person laughs as his dream comes closer to its realization.


	17. Dreams

**Notes**: Enter more characters! You know I'm just gonna flood you with those, yes? (That's why I'm writing those character compilations – the next one is going to be after chapter 20.) And a glimpse into the mind of a particular someone at the end of the chapter. You know, I should stop spoiling things in the notes before the chapter. Enjoy! (Oh, and – Yay for posting three chapters at once succession. I had quite a backlog of chapters I hadn't edited.)

**Previous Chapter Summary**: Big Brother Kodroga tries to contact Darunia's spirit at the Fire Temple in the heart of Death Mountain, but fails. The brown-tunic-clad man meets him and successfully reaches Darunia. He tells the Goron leader to gather his people inside the Goron City and wait for Link's group; Darunia's life force, his spirit itself, is being attacked and is dying, which is causing the sorry state of the mountain. Link and company stop for the night, speculating that something has been warding them from monsters the last few days. In the middle of the night, they are attacked by a Wizrobe that puts everyone but Avery and Link into a magic slumber. Moblins come later to join the battle. During the fight, Alexis arrives and kills the Wizrobe. The Master Sword activates and Link unwittingly dives back inside the Sword of Souls. There he finds a frozen Aurora chained by many multicolored chains. Using the golden power, he breaks a few of them before returning to the fight and activating new powers of Aurora's. He falls unconscious; the others wake up and fight off the Moblins.

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Dreams**

Location: Goron City  
Time: Dawn of the eighty-fifth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

Godoro of the Gorons lay curled in a ball on the floor of the room carved into the mountain that he shared with his two younger brothers. Not that it really mattered that they were his brothers; they were his Brothers, which was what was important. In Goron society, actual family ties apart from father-son meant very little. Everyone was everyone else's Brother. The Goron Brotherhood, some Hylians called their culture. It was always a point of some confusion for newcomer Hylians or humans who were unfamiliar with Gorons. And, of course, no one but the most daring of scholars ventured to ask about the Goron reproductive method once they discovered that there were no female Gorons. It was something that most considered better left unknown.

So it didn't really matter to anyone that the younger Gorons with whom Godoro shared a living space had the same father as he did. Whether they were his brothers or whether they weren't, they were his Brothers, like all the rest of the Gorons. In fact, since all the Gorons were Brothers, they didn't call their leader King, or Emperor, or Lord, or anything of the sort. He was called Big Brother. And it was Big Brother's responsibility to make sure that all the Gorons could continue living their peaceful lives, even in times as dire as these.

As Big Brother's oldest son, Godoro often felt that there was a lot of pressure on him to be an example for the younger generation while his father dealt with the fact that the Mountain reeled in pain and was overtaken by monsters. He didn't like this feeling of pressure. Back several years ago, when everything had still been completely carefree, he had enjoyed life much more. Rolling down the mountainside and engaging in friendly brawls with the other Gorons, he felt he had been living the good life, the life that all Gorons loved. For the Gorons were a laid-back people, peace-loving and friendly to everyone, who enjoyed sport and tests of strength. Of the peoples of Hyrule, they were the strongest race, but they were never warlike. They could fight as well as the Knights of Hyrule, but they were not soldiers. Blood and death did not suit them.

Godoro remained curled up in his ball. He did not want to get up and face the day. Yesterday, Big Brother had come back from the center of the volcano and had immediately told the Gorons to seal off all exits except the main entrance. There would be no wandering the dangerous mountain paths, not even to fight back the encroaching monsters. They would sit still and quietly await the coming of those sent by the King of Hyrule. Godoro was unhappy with this decision. It was not like the Gorons to sit still or be quiet. It was like the Gorons to party and play. It was like the Gorons to defend their home from enemies when necessary. It was like the Gorons to be fearless and not rely on others. And so Godoro did not want to be awake. He wanted to pretend that none of this was happening.

With loud, rumbling yawns, his Brothers woke up and sat up from their balled-up sleep. They rubbed their eyes and bits of stone fell to the floor. Kukaro, the older of the two, strolled over to Godoro and knocked on his back.

"It is time to wake up, Brother," he said cheerfully in his gravelly voice. "It is morning."

"Morning is time to wake up and not to keep sleeping," the other, Aruni, added.

Reluctantly Godoro un-balled and stood, his small six foot six inch frame towering over the two less-than-six-foot-tall Goron children. He was still not at his adult height yet, he knew, but it provided a small comfort to be taller than even a few of his Brothers, since most of them were far bigger than he. He yawned, his rumble louder than both of theirs combined.

"Good morning, Brothers," he responded in his deep voice. "Why do not you two go and greet the rest of our Brothers? I am sure they will be happy to see you."

"Good idea, Brother!" Aruni answered, clapping Godoro on the back.

"See you later, Brother!" Kukaro said, adding his own clap before trundling out the doorway with his younger brother to begin the day.

Godoro rumbled in discomfort. "I do not want to start the day," he grumbled. "I want to go play outside the city. I want to win races with Goro-goro. I want to box with Akagor. I do not want to sit still and be quiet inside the city. It makes me unhappy."

He sighed, which sounded like a small rock avalanche, and walked out of the room and into the city proper.

Goron City was appropriately named. It was the only place where the Gorons lived in Hyrule, so it had to be large to accommodate the entire Goron population. It was carved out of the mountain itself; every room, corridor, hall, and open space was in the interior of Death Mountain. The city extended over a vast portion of Death Mountain, connected in so many tunnels that a non-native would almost certainly find himself lost. It contained everything a city needed – living spaces for the inhabitants (generally just empty rooms to curl up and go to sleep in), guest accommodations for visitors (only slightly more comfortable than the spaces the Gorons themselves lived in), stores (selling everything a Goron could possibly need and a great many things that Gorons didn't need), a water supply (albeit not a very large one; the Gorons didn't need very much water to survive), a food supply (caverns upon caverns of nutritious, ore-rich rocks and fields of bomb-flower plants, although the latter were mostly outside the city and on the surface of the mountain), dining halls (for both Gorons and visitors, and therefore stocked with food actually edible to non-Gorons), storage rooms (storing things from tools to…well, just about anything), forges (for making tools), big open spaces for just about every type of occasion (from sports to meetings to partying to art-crafting), and anything else one might imagine. It was, essentially, an entire small nation in one large contiguous carved city.

And in Goron City there was always activity. In some places Gorons were hard at work, carving out new rooms or blasting for new sources of food or fixing broken walls by expanding the room or building pillars to support and decorate; in others they engaged in very animated commercial transactions, bartering and bargaining for the fun of it; in still more places Gorons rolled around, whether surveying their beloved home or just getting some exercise; and in yet others they wrestled and joked and just generally had a good time. Even in this dark time, very few of the Gorons seemed down; everyone made the best of the bad situation and enjoyed themselves. That was the Goron way.

Godoro was torn. Yes, he could enjoy many things without ever leaving the confines of the city. Yes, he didn't really need to leave in order to have fun and do all the things he wanted to do. Yes, he found the general good mood to be contagious. But… it was the principle of the matter. A Goron should never cede his home territory to a pack of monsters, no matter how dangerous. Even a Goron child could fight back against the monsters. Why should they hide like mountain rabbits from the dangers outside? His Goron pride was stung by the whole situation.

And…there was something else, too. Something that he did not quite understand, and was therefore reluctant to admit to himself.

He wanted freedom.

Oh, the Gorons were never a restrictive people. They were just generally good natured and got along with one another. They never really needed any laws, like the other races did. There was never anyone saying, "You cannot do this, you must do that." The only times that any orders were ever given were in times of danger, like right now, and even then only by Big Brother. The laid-back Gorons never really understood the uptightness of the other races.

But there were some unspoken rules that were very rarely broken. "Do not leave Death Mountain without reason" was one. "Do not explore the unknown except in the company of your Brothers" was another. "Be content to dwell among your Brothers." "Do not face danger alone." "Adhere to tradition." "Do not disrupt the order of society." "Be happy with who and what you are." "Do not engage in conflict except in the protection of yourself or others."

Many of these rules made sense. Most of them were reasonable. All of them were nearly absolute. It was not that Godoro took issue with all of them; far from it. He had no desire to disrupt the harmony of Goron society, for example. But why should he need to be happy with who he was? What if he wanted to change who he was? Why did he need to remain on Death Mountain? Why did he need to shy from exploring the unknown? What if he wanted to adventure? And tradition – what if he wanted to challenge his assumptions, put his beliefs to the test? Why did he have to wait for the enemy to threaten him? What was wrong with taking the fight to them?

Godoro was a young Goron, not yet reached the age of full adulthood. These questions, these desires, confused him. They made him uncertain. Other Gorons did not want these things he wanted, and so he did not understand himself. And because he did not understand, he was afraid. And Gorons were never supposed to be afraid. In times of danger, they might be cautious, but never afraid. And so he did not acknowledge his feelings. He bottled them up inside, and he chalked up his discomfort to an unhappiness with the current situation.

Godoro, son of Kodroga, was different. And it was that which would lead to the salvation of the Goron people.

*  
Location: The village of Bridgeton, Hyrule Hills  
Time: Mid-day of the eighty-fifth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

"I've already told you, Sergeant: according to Aurora, the spirit of his sword, this has happened before."

Avery crossed his arms and leaned against the wooden wall of the inn room, scowling. After sharing potions to heal their injuries (Hawke had needed a full potion himself, and two more were consumed among his subordinates), they had traveled during the next two days and had recently reached Bridgeton, their first destination, at the bridge over the Northern Hylia. It had taken them longer than they had anticipated to reach their destination because they had had to carry Link the entire way; he had not yet woken from his unconscious state.

"I still don't understand what the problem is," Hawke returned. "He appears to be fine, physically."

"My theory," Aurora replied, "is that this happens when the Triforce exerts too much power and overextends Link. The last time this happened was after the battle with the undead Skull Rider, and the Triforce activated some funky golden light thing right before he conked out. This time, he somehow managed to access _two_ new powers of mine, one right after the other, on top of doing something strange with the Master Sword. It seems to fit."

"I hate having to do this, Sword, but since I'm the only one who can hear you, I guess I have to." He frowned. "Sergeant, Aurora's hypothesis is that this is the result of the Triforce overextending Link's mental energy. That does fit with what happened last time and this time."

"Makes sense," whispered the Sheikah.

"But when will he wake up?" Alexis asked mildly. She had been very quiet and submissive since she had joined the group. Hawke and Avery had both given her lectures about disobeying the Princess's direct orders, and she wasn't feeling very self-confident. The only reason they hadn't sent her back was that it was too dangerous to do so. She had managed to slip out of the Palace and out of the city to follow them, and she had run into a few smaller monsters along the way, during which time she had discovered that she could make her dagger glow violet if she concentrated on the things and people she cared about. The violet glow seemed to make the weapon stronger. She had been very sure of herself by the time she had interrupted to attack the Wizrobe, but she had shrunk back to her previous level of insecurity after getting yelled at by two of the three (Link was the other) authority figures of the group.

"I dunno," Aurora answered seriously. "Last time he was out for two weeks. I certainly hope it won't be that long this time, but in all honesty, what he did this time definitely used a lot of mental energy. He's the first wielder of the Sword of Souls to do most of the things that he's done, and he's definitely the first wielder who had the Triforce, so I don't really have any basis to make the judgment on."

Avery decided to truncate that to, "She has absolutely no idea."

"Well, we can't exactly continue the journey any further until he's awake and able," Hawke sighed in frustration. "So I guess we're stuck here for the time being. I'll go out and get supplies, the rest of you Knights keep a close watch on the perimeter. Avery, you and Alexis stay here with Link. Sheikah…go skulk around and collect information."

"Don't skulk," the jumpsuit-wearing man whispered in irritation before exiting along with all of the Knights.

Once everyone but Alexis, Aurora, and Avery had left Link's room (where he was lying stretched out on a bed), Aurora turned to Avery.

"You know something about that attack," she said simply. "Link may have been out of it during that fight, but I wasn't. I didn't want to say anything until Link was safe, so I waited until now. The level of recognition and hatred was personal." She gazed at him, her expression hiding her thoughts. Avery briefly considered ignoring her, but decided that it might be unwise.

"I've fought Moblins before," he replied, his half-scowl perfectly obscuring any method of divining what his actual feelings were. "And the Sergeant was right that night – that wasn't a random group. We _were_ being targeted. I just can't understand why. If the purpose was to eliminate us, why didn't the Wizrobe finish us off while we were asleep? Why wait until Link and I woke up? But if the purpose _wasn't_ to eliminate us, then why send such a large group of Moblins at us? If Link hadn't been lucky, we probably would have lost, or at least lost a sizable chunk of our group."

Aurora considered this. "Well," she said slowly after a pause, "what if the purpose was to reduce the size of our group? To get rid of the weaker members. To cull us to find out who the real threats were. It would explain why the Wizrobe didn't attack right off – it was waiting to see if anyone had resisted its spell."

Avery stopped scowling. He hadn't thought of that. _To get rid of the Knights and the Sheikah? But Agahnim couldn't have counted on Link being that lucky, or on Alexis showing up right when she did. If she had arrived earlier or later, or if I hadn't gotten hit and triggered Link going berserk, or any number of impossible to predict factors, then we would have been decimated. What Aurora says makes sense…until you realize that Agahnim, who is obviously the one who sent the Moblins since Ganon is still behind the seals, wants Link, me, and Alexis to stay alive for the time being. He shouldn't be risking killing us, even for the sake of making it seem realistic. Something else is going on in that magician's mind that I don't know about._

"Um…" Alex began. "I only heard half of that conversation."

"Don't worry about it. We're just speculating on why we were attacked," Avery waved her comment away. He was still thinking. Dark Link merely hadn't had the whole picture when he questioned Agahnim's motives back when Avery had saved Zelda. Now Avery didn't have the whole picture. Of course, he _could_ simply sit there and just trust the black wizard to carry out his plans without trying to understand…but that didn't sit well with him.

Alexis sat on the bed next to Link's in the two-bed room. She looked down at his sleeping face. His eyes were closed, and his face was relaxed. His chest slowly rose and lowered with each breath. It was truly a calming sight. For someone who seemed so confident, so sure of himself, so ready-for-anything normally, he looked quite vulnerable in his sleep. Vulnerable.

Being vulnerable and knowing it was an uncomfortable feeling. But seeing it in someone who was usually so strong gave her a sense of assurance. Assurance that she wasn't alone in her weakness. Assurance that perhaps she was stronger than she felt. Assurance that anyone, no matter how powerful, was ultimately only mortal like everyone else. Even Link. Even the Hero of Hyrule. She smiled to herself. In sleep, Link's Hylian features, from the angle of his face to the pointy tips of his ears, made him look like the fey of legend – beautiful, unknowable, mystical, exotic. That she was also Hylian struck her as a point of whimsical irony; did she also look like that when she slept?

Aurora sat on Link's bed next to him, gazing at the unconscious face. Link, her strong, indomitable partner, looked weak and helpless in sleep. It was slightly unsettling. She liked it better when he was awake, whether he was delighting in battle with her, arguing with her, displaying his strong sense of justice by standing against what he saw to be wrong, or turning his burning eyes upon those who deserved to quail under his gaze. She preferred to see him when he wasn't sleeping, when he was laughing, grinning, joking, smiling, chatting, or practicing. She liked the kindness in his face when he looked at her and others he considered friends, she liked the rampant idealism that spurred him to greater heights as he tried to achieve a happy ending for everyone, she liked the gentleness with which he treated children and the injured. She wanted to share more emotions with him and grow closer to him.

But when he was asleep or unconscious, he was helpless. He was powerless. She understood the strength it took to be gentle, but in sleep even that had deserted him. In sleep, he could never be the protector, only the protected. And the thought of her partner, her wielder, needing to be protected left her feeling uncomfortable. She didn't like it at all.

While Avery brooded in a corner, the two girls watched the sleeping Hero. Their thoughts could not have been more different as they surveyed the green-garbed youth. Silence prevailed as the three waking people were lost in their separate thoughts.

*  
Location: The village of Bridgeton, Hyrule Hills  
Time: Wee hours of the morning of the eighty-sixth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

_Floating above as insubstantial presence, I see a scene unfold before me._

_ It is red. The red-brown of rock. The red-orange of lava. The red of blood. There are four figures standing at the edge of a precipice. In front of them, lava roils uncontrollably in a giant sea of orange and red in what I suppose are the bowels of a volcano. One figure is a head taller than the rest, bulky and seemingly made of rock. He is a Goron, I realize. Blood is running down his arm and dripping onto the rock at his feet. Beside him, someone wearing a red cape, tattered at the edges. In his hand is a scythe blade. His hand is completely covered in blood – his own blood. I struggle to remember who he is. I know that I know him. He turns slightly, revealing a bloody face, and the name Avery pops into my head._

_ Next to him, there is a girl wearing all black, but the black is stained with the red of blood in many places. Her shoulder-length black hair is thick and matted with more blood. She holds a long, thin dagger in her right hand in a reverse grip. It glows with a violet light. Alexis, I suddenly realize is her name._

_ And at the end of the line is a blond-haired youth wearing a red tunic and floppy red hat. He has two sword sheaths, and he holds a sword in each hand, arms pouring blood. This time, I realize who it is almost immediately: me._

_ The scene rotates, and I spot someone hiding in the craggy edge of the interior of the volcano. He looks a lot like me, only older. His tunic is brown, with lines of flowing red magic, and he doesn't have a hat. A sword hilt protrudes over his left shoulder. His left hand twitches, as though he's restraining himself from drawing the sword. At his shoulder, there is a small blue light – a fairy. Unlike the four below, he is unharmed._

_ The scene rotates back again, and once more I'm looking at the four beside the rim. A monster, colossal in size, rears itself out of the lava. It looks like …_

_ Suddenly, I sense something brush my mind. It pulls back, startled, and I realize that it probably felt the same sensation as I did. But I'm curious. For some reason, I get the sense that it was another person's mind. I've never had that happen before. It seemed a little like what happens when Aurora and I share thoughts, but different somehow. I want to find out who it is. I reach out metaphysically, my mind no longer on the image playing out in front of me, where the four figures are fighting. I grasp for the other mind._

_ I touch it. The other mind jerks away, as though frightened. I follow curiously. The other mind is obviously not an enemy, but I don't think it knows that. I try to convey that I'm not going to do anything bad, that I just want to know who it is. Unfortunately, I can't seem to communicate with words, and I'm not sure how well the purely emotional information is getting across. After all, I had to deduce the emotions of the other mind, not sense them directly._

_ When our minds come in contact for a third time, the other mind doesn't leave, but it is wary. It doesn't know who I am any more than I know who it is. I try once more to let it know that I mean no harm. This time, I get the feeling that it understands, but that it isn't sure whether to trust me. I still don't know who it is._

_ Suddenly, a loud shriek causes both of us to return our attention to the scene. I'm impaled on a claw as big as my torso, and Alexis is standing nearby, horror-stricken. Is she the one who screamed? She drops the dagger and clutches at her head, and immediately meets the same fate that I did. Avery is still trying to attack the monster, but he and the Goron don't stand a chance. Suddenly I wonder about the bystander, and the image rotates._

_ He's locked in combat with Dark Link. He now has a shield on his arm, but I can't make out the design from this distance. They attack each other with speed and ferocity that defies all common sense. It looks like he is winning against the Shade by a relatively reasonable margin, but then Dark Link kicks at his ankle and the tables turn, with the Shade well on top._

_ I'm completely bewildered by all of this. It doesn't make any sense to me. Dark Link should be fighting me, not some stranger. I shouldn't be dying along with my friends against a monster. This makes no sense._

_ And I'm not the only one confused. The other mind doesn't understand it any more than I do. At least we have that in common._

Link awoke with a gasp and jerked upright in bed. He looked around quickly, trying to figure out where he was.

"Oh, you're awake," yawned Aurora as she stretched her arms. "That was quick." Link blinked, barely able to see her transparent form in the dark. He scanned his surroundings again and deduced that he was in the room of an inn or something similar – it wasn't a very large room, and there were two beds about five feet apart. A cloaked figure (probably Avery) was sleeping standing up, leaning against the door. In the other bed, he could just make out a black-haired girl; that would be Alex, though why she was here was beyond him.

"Quick?" he whispered. Aurora turned to face him and nodded.

"You've been out for a couple hours more than two days," she said in a quiet voice, glancing at Avery. "How much do you remember about the battle?"

_Battle? No, not the dream. Ah, the Wizrobe battle._ "Well," he replied in a whisper, "after Avery got hit, we attacked the Wizrobe, and then we started spinning like crazy, with both you and the Master Sword activating." He paused. "Then I ended up back inside the Sword of Souls."

Aurora raised an eyebrow. "Not, 'the place I think is the Sword of Souls?'" she asked.

He shook his head. "No," he said quietly, tired of whispering, "I'm sure that's what it is now. I saw you in there, frozen in time." Her eyes widened.

"Tell me," she said.

When Link finished his story, she shook her head in disbelief.

"It's not that I think you're lying – I know you're not," she said. "But that doesn't make any sense at all. You're right, my first guess was the wizard's magic, but your doubts are the same as mine. But, if you broke chains correlating to the lightning wreath and magnetism, I would hazard a guess that you may be able to use those at will now." She frowned. "It just doesn't make any sense at all."

"Well," he replied, "what about the rest of the battle? I remember a dome –"

"Lightning Barrier," Aurora interrupted. "It's a kind of shield. It's the first of the two abilities you used. After you used that, Lexi burst onto the scene and killed the Wizrobe."

Link nodded. "I wasn't sure what happened to the Wizrobe. I thought I saw someone stab it, but I wasn't sure. Then there was that ring that expanded of fire and lightning. And then I think I passed out."

"Yeah, that's right. The ring, I think, was a combination of Lightning Arc and a power of the Master Sword working together. That attack took out a full half-dozen Moblins; at least that's what the others called them. I'd never heard of them before."

"They're from after your time," Link explained. "The Great Evil made them when he obtained the Triforce of Power. At least, that's what I've been able to piece together from things that the Knights have said and what Rauru said before we left."

"Anyway, after you passed out the others fought and defeated the remaining six Moblins. Those are seriously strong critters, stronger than Stalfos. You could have handled several of them, I'm sure, but the others were barely holding on." She smirked. "Except for Avery and Lexi. They really cleaned up good. Took out two of them together without taking any injuries."

Link allowed himself a smile. _You know, it really is funny – back when we were at the Palace, Aurora was always at odds with Avery, but now she's actually proud of him. I think that, combined with her reaction when he was hit by the Wizrobe, is proof enough that whether she admits it or not, she considers him a friend. As do I. Those whom I can call friend keep increasing in number. Faro, Falo, Alice, the neighborhood kids, Aurora, Avery, Alexis. It makes me happy. Happy enough to weather whatever storm may come my way._

He lay back down. "Good night, Aurora," he whispered. "See you in the morning."

"Nighty-night," she replied. Within 10 minutes, Link had fallen into a normal sleep, and Aurora had gone to rest as well.

Alexis finally turned over and clutched at her pillow. _Is it possible?_ she wondered. Could the other presence have belonged to the other person who had awoken at the same time as she had? _Did Link and I…share a dream?_

*  
Location: Hyrule Castle City  
Time: Evening of the eighty-sixth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

"It's hard to lose a tail if that tail is a Sheikah," one servant of House Yael commented to another.

Both servants were wearing rather nondescript clothing of drab colors, deliberately masking the fact that they worked for Yael's family. The servant who had spoken, a raven-haired man in his thirties, leaned over and placed his hands on his knees. The other, a balding man in his fifties, nodded.

"They are like badgers," he agreed. "Once they bite, they don't let go. The ones normally stationed in the capital know the streets better than we do, too. It's best not to be spotted by them in the first place."

"As if it were ever that simple," complained the younger man. "It's like they have eyes growing out of the walls."

The older man leaned against the brick side of the nearby building.

"True, it may seem that way, but there are only so many."

"Exactly," confirmed the other in exasperation. "So many! Everywhere! The Princess called for reinforcements from Kakariko and Sherikah! Have you _seen_ the number of Sheikah at the Palace? It's insane! It was hard enough to sneak around when there were less than half a dozen in the whole city! Now there are at least two dozen here. _Two dozen!_ It's crazy!"

The balding servant frowned skeptically.

"I know she called for more of them," he said, "but that many?"

"I'm not exaggerating!" the black-haired man snapped. "I've seen them myself." He stood up and then joined his companion against the building, placing an arm over his eyes. "The lord is out of his mind if he thinks he can pull this off. The Sheikah so much as get half a clue as to what he's planning and we'll find him the next morning with his throat slit."

"Now, now, Pierce Yael is not a fool," the elder admonished. "He knows what he's doing."

"Yeah, committing treason," shot back the younger. "What the hell else is poisoning the Princess called?"

"Keep your thoughts to yourself," the balding man said sharply. "We serve House Yael. It isn't our place to question the lord. Besides, he's not planning to kill her."

"Oh, shut up. Our loyalty should be to both the Crown _and_ Yael, not just Yael. You know it as well as I do that what Yael is planning is enough to get him executed, Head of one of the thirteen or not."

"Keep your traps shut, you pair of idiots," a woman's voice hissed from around the corner in an alleyway. The two turned and walked around to face the speaker.

She was a fairly young-looking woman who appeared to be in her late twenties or early thirties, platinum-blonde with one red eye and one black eye and a thin white scar on her left cheek. She wore blue jeans and vest. Her short hair was tied back in a tiny ponytail with a violet ribbon. Her pointed ears were less sharply angled than most Hylians' and Sheikah's, denoting her as a cross-breed – a part human.

"Scarlet!" the older man said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think, pea-brain? Lord Yael sent me to find you two slackers and bring you back. He's decided to withdraw both of you from the mission for incompetence." She gave a small sneer, revealing teeth filed to points. "You should be glad that's the only punishment."

"How is this our fault?" cried the younger man indignantly. "Does he have any idea how many Sheikah there are crawling about? We should be commended for not getting caught!"

"Oh, yes, I'm sure," Scarlet replied sarcastically. "Because Lord Yael is so proud of servants who aren't the lowest of the low."

"What would you know?" he said sullenly. "You're not a Hylian. You're –"

Before he knew what was happening, she had him by the throat and pinned to the wall. She leaned up close to his face and whispered dangerously, "Finish that thought, little man. I dare you." He stared at her wide-eyed, too frightened to respond. After a moment, she dropped him.

"Good," she said, "I'm glad you know your place." She turned to the other servant, who was watching with apprehension. "Yael has more spies, watchers, and assassins than he needs right now, since many of Raistler Emit's fled to his custody upon the fool's death. Idiots like you are a liability. Now follow me and let's get back to the manor." She whirled and began walking away.

The two servants swallowed, and then they followed her.

The lord's pet assassin, Scarlet, was not to be disobeyed.

*  
Location: Unknown  
Time: Unknown

Red washed over the landscape, blotting out all other colors. Mountains were no longer distinguishable from valleys. Plains and hills were all the same. Land and water, too, could no more be told apart. All was red. Color was red. Texture was red. Taste and smell were red. Even sound was red.

Slowly, the red grew darker, deeper. Gradually, red became black.

A low sigh escaped from the mouth of someone, somewhere. Dusk and night. Red and black. Those were his favorite colors. The color of blood and the color of death. The only color that rivaled these in his mind was gold, which was the dawn. The color of power. The color of Power.

He laughed. It was a low, dark laugh, quiet at first.

"Heh heh heh…"

If there had been anything else in the black besides him, it would have felt a terrible chill. But of course there was nothing; everything was black. Only he remained, as he always had.

"Heh heh heh…"

They had called this place a prison. They had thought it would serve as one, defeating his spirit. But they were wrong. Always they were wrong. How could a place that mirrored his own dark heart be called a prison? No, this place was a place of reflection. His laugh grew louder.

"Heh heh heh…"

Yes, a place of reflection. It reflected him. He reflected it. It could never defeat him. Long ago he had conquered it. It belonged to him. It _was_ him. It was the perfect place to plan, to plot the demise of his enemies. To prepare for his inevitable release. To ready himself to take over Hyrule and make it his.

"Ha ha ha!..."

This cycle of release and "imprisonment" could not continue forever. Each time he learned from his mistakes. Each time he grew even stronger than the last. These countless years had only served to better acquaint him with the Power he had. And sooner or later the cycle would be broken, shattered beyond repair.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! HA HA HA HA HA! HA HA HA HA HA!"

Even across the dimensions, one woman, one girl, and one boy shuddered fearfully in their sleep.

**END CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

**COMING NEXT IN CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: VILLAGE OF ANTIQUITY**

Link and his companions arrive at Kakariko, but things are not as they expected.


	18. Village of Antiquity

**Notes**: Spoiler free! That means no notes. Enjoy the chapter! …Or, that was my original intent. However…I never ended up posting this chapter after I wrote it…until now. So…Yeah, it's been over 4 months since I've posted, even though I've had this chapter, the next chapter, and the chapter after that (minus some minor reworking, anyway) done about 4 months ago. I got…distracted. I have a job now. It's still just a part-time position, but…yeah, I got distracted. So…forgive me? Please? And go ahead and keep reviewing it! (also, thanks to my cousin for reading and reviewing even though she's never played Zelda games. In response to your question(s), cuz, look up iwish's reviews and you'll see the answer(s))

**Previous Chapter Summary**: A young Goron named Godoro, son of Kodroga, thinks about how he wishes life were otherwise; unlike his Brothers, he wishes for a freedom from the unspoken rules of their society. Link is carried to Bridgeton. Avery and Aurora discuss why they might have been attacked by the Moblins, which were clearly targeting them. Aurora is suspicious about Avery, but he manages to turn her suspicions aside. Link and Alexis both have a prophetic dream about their party dying while fighting against a monster and notice each other in the dream, though they do not realize who the other is. When Link awakes, Alexis suspects it. Meanwhile, a group of servants to House Yael attempt to prepare for Yael's plot to poison the Princess, including his favorite assassin, a mysterious woman who has one red eye and one black eye. In an unknown place, an unknown figure laughs. ((You should be able to figure out who it is, but I'm not saying.))

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Village of Antiquity**

Location: Hyrule Field, Hyrule Hills  
Time: Afternoon of the eighty-seventh day of Summer

"Guay, Kargaroks, Bokoblins, and Lizalfos," Aaron, the archer of Sergeant Hawke's company of Knights, said. "Well, we've certainly gotten more than enough payback for the downtime without monsters we had before the Moblin attack. These hills are chock full of monsters since we left the riverside."

"Gotten used to killing monsters yet, Link?" Hawke asked wryly, remembering their first conversation in Napils, as he cleaned the Bokoblin blood off of his sword.

"No," the Ordon villager answered honestly, schooling his face to keep the fact that his stomach was turning because of the numerous killings he had been forced to make and witness over the last two days from showing in his expression.

"Sissy," Aurora interjected offhandedly.

"Quite," Avery agreed.

Aurora looked affronted. "Aren't you supposed to always disagree with me?" she demanded.

"Not when you're right, Sword," he responded easily. She glared.

"Aurora. Uh-roar-uh. Not 'Sword.'" He ignored her.

"Well, just remember what I told you back on the plains," Hawke said, ignoring Avery's conversation with the to-him-inaudible Aurora. "Some creatures are simply evil beings. Monsters are not people, regardless of their stupidity or intelligence."

"It's also self defense," added Charles, the non-specialist Knight. "A lot of this is kill-or-be-killed. It isn't like they plan to let us leave if we don't attack them. They're trying to kill us."

"Very true," whispered the Sheikah.

The group continued traveling onward through the hills. Given their current pace, Hawke and the Sheikah had estimated that it would take another two days (possibly two and a half) to reach Kakariko. Of course, this was assuming that there weren't any significant delays. The monster attacks had slowed them, but hadn't significantly delayed them, since they were always attacked by small numbers and could deal with them relatively quickly.

"I'm more concerned about my arrow supply," the archer said. "I started with what, thirty arrows? I'm down to" – he counted with his hand without looking – "nine. I'll be out before we get to the village."

"Don't worry about that," Link assured him, diverting his thoughts away from the slaying of living, breathing, thinking creatures. "I've got plenty of arrows. I started with sixty, and I've only used eleven of them. When you run out you can use mine."

"Thanks."

"And I have arrows, too," Charles supplied. "But it's probably better to borrow from Link, since he has more."

"Now, if only we can get to Stinky-crow-surprise-ville without running into anything big," Aurora sighed.

Link turned to stare at her as they continued walking, his eyebrow raised in a "what-on-earth?" expression.

"I have to ask," he said, "where in the names of the goddesses did you get that name from?"

"Kakariko," she answered simply. "Caw-caw-reek-oh. Stinky crow surprise."

Link shook his head in disbelief. "You are definitely strange, sword-girl."

"So are you, grasshopper-boy," she responded nonchalantly.

The company of travelers moved in a loose formation almost subconsciously. Sergeant Hawke and the two swordsmen Knights took up the lead, the other two Knights traveled in the middle with Link and Aurora, and Avery and the Sheikah took up the rear. Alexis trailed off to the side slightly, level with Avery. She continued to watch Link converse with what to her was an invisible and inaudible person.

_He's such an interesting person,_ Alex thought. _So laid back and relaxed, friendly. When he gets excited he's really enthusiastic and energetic. He has a nice sense of humor, and he's really tolerant of people. Just to watch him, you'd think he was … I don't know, but not a fighter. He's like my brother in some ways. He wants to protect everyone that he can. He loves practicing swordsmanship; but on the other hand, he doesn't like killing at all, even if it's just monsters. He's strong, confident, determined, and very brave. But he's also kind of child-like with his humor and playing around. Interesting is definitely a good word for him._

Link pulled a flask of water out of his pouch and drank.

"It sure is hot for being so close to the end of summer," he commented, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"It's always like this," Avery told him. "It won't start cooling until partway into autumn. At least, that is how it has been the previous few years."

"That's right," the Sheikah agreed in a whisper.

"Okay, I've had enough," Aurora declared, turning around (and continuing to walk, backwards, so that she didn't fall behind). "You keep whispering two words whenever you feel like talking. So far, you haven't enough given us your name! Say a whole sentence already!"

Link grinned at her sudden outburst and immediately relayed it to the uniformed individual with a smile. The blue, white, gray, and red-garbed man shrugged.

"What for?" he whispered.

Link burst into laughter as Aurora twitched indignantly. Even Avery allowed his scowl to become a smirk. Alexis, who couldn't see Aurora's response, still smiled at the Sheikah's words. The next moment, a large plant forward and off to the right caught her attention.

It was a big, squat, tapered cylinder of a plant, big enough where it buried into the ground to cause her to blink – it was about seven or eight feet in diameter. From the top of the plant, which was perhaps five feet tall, giant leaves sprouted outward in a fan shape, curling back down toward the ground. She pointed it out and asked, "What's that?"

Avery turned to look, and he replied resignedly, "Great. A Peahat." A groan went up from the Knights, and as if that were a cue, the massive plant plucked itself from the ground, the leaves spreading out and spinning, causing a downdraft that lifted the thing up some fifty feet into the air. Once it removed itself from the ground, Alex saw that it had been half-buried, making the plant twice as tall in reality. On the bottom, long, thick roots spread out in a circle, whirling faster than the leaves above. With little "poofs," three miniature (the plants were head sized) ones were ejected from the Peahat. They all, including the large one, tilted themselves so that the sharp roots angled toward the travelers and the undersides faced away.

Link quickly placed his quiver on his back and fitted an arrow to his bow. The archer Knight shook his head.

"Good luck with that," he said. "Those things have impressive natural armor. The only place that's vulnerable is the underside where the roots are growing from. Anything that hits the main plant or the roots themselves will just bounce off."

Link aimed and let loose, the arrow striking one of the smaller ones dead on. Little pieces of arrow flew in multiple directions, but the mini Peahat was undamaged. Then the Peahats charged.

The travelers scattered. The plant-enemies separated to attack. Alexis and the Sheikah drew a mini one off to one side, and Avery drew another. The unranked Knights attracted the attention of the third, and Link and Hawke were followed by the main Peahat.

The distinctive air-chopping noise of the Peahats filled the ears of the fighters. Alexis dodged to the side of the speedy sprout while the Sheikah leapt backward. It chased the Sheikah, and Alex took the opportunity to aim at the weak point with her dagger. Her aim was slightly off because of the swift movements of her quarry, and the weapon clattered off of the steel-like roots. Immediately shifting directions, the Peahat gave the Sheikah the next chance. He, too, missed by a small margin, and the process continued like a strange game of hot-potato between two people. Eventually, Lexi managed to hit the correct spot, and the Peahat fell apart.

Avery dispatched his foe the most quickly, weaving a pattern around it with his chain and then finishing by attacking it from behind it while he stood in front of it. The four Knights battered at theirs from several directions at once until they got lucky. It was the large one that the Sergeant and Hero faced that proved to be any kind of threat.

The roots churned the dirt as easily as if it were cream. It was difficult for the fighters to see in the spray of grass, rocks, and dirt that flew in all directions, so they were forced to rely on their acute hearing. Replacing his bow and arrows in favor of his swords, Link tried to move around the plant, only to be knocked off-balance by a particularly strong blast of debris. Hawke hunkered down behind his shield, which was successful until the roots reached it and battered at the metal plate hard enough to send him sprawling (and put lots of unsightly dents in the shield, also). The numerous bruises that both Hylians suffered would heal, but if they were hit even once by the roots, there would only be a bloody mess left of them. The Peahat bore down on Hawke.

Aurora crackling, Link leapt at the cumbersome plant from behind, thrusting at the weak spot with both swords. Plant juices flew out and the thing shuddered, but it did not die. Hawke took advantage of the brief halt in its attack to get up and move further away. Link continued his assault, wanting to finish the thing before it had a chance to turn around and turn him into mulch. It took several more strikes, and then the thing fell to earth limply.

_A Peahat, huh?_ Aurora asked. _Sounds so harmless. This thing is more like whirling death._

"I've noticed that we Hylians have a tendency to give things misleading names," Link admitted.

_Naw, really?_ she said sarcastically.

*  
Location: Hyrule Hills, base of Death Mountain, near Kakariko  
Time: Evening of the eighty-ninth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

"Is that Kakariko over there?" Alex asked, pointing at the large cluster of buildings in the distance.

"That's right," the Sheikah whispered.

It was, Link decided, an odd habit of the people of Hyrule to name things "village" when they were large towns. Kakariko was not the small village of lore any longer. It was at least as big, as far as the number of buildings went, as the town part of Lon Lon, another place misleadingly named "village." The largest building of all of them, which he could actually see from here despite the town being several miles off, was a gigantic windmill. It was something of a symbol of Kakariko.

If Link remembered correctly, Kakariko was primarily inhabited by a fairly even mix of Hylians and humans. It was the ancestral home of the Sheikah (or so he had been informed by Sharla before they left) but the shadow-dwelling race had not lived on the surface amongst its people for thousands of years. Instead, there were a series of underground tunnels and caverns nearby, carefully hidden from outside view, which the Sheikah called home. No one knew where the caverns were except the Sheikah themselves and a very few trusted allies. Rumors said that there were entrances hidden in the graveyard, but rumors also said a lot of other things, both more and less believable, so it was hard to know.

If Castle City was the city of market and money, Kakariko was the town of peace and prosperity. It had a very rural feel, Link had been told by Faro and Falo, even though there were plenty of people who were well-to-do and there were many opportunities for amusement. Unlike the capital, where one had to be careful of others and watch one's own back, Kakariko was generally untroubled by crime. The town didn't even have a police force. Sure, there were Hylian knights posted there (as there were at Eldin, Fadinru, and Lake City), but they rarely if ever had to act. Primarily, they served to make sure that no stray monsters entered the settlement. Rumors, of course, purported to explain this: the Sheikah secretly took care of any criminal element before it had the chance to cause any trouble.

Occasionally, foreigners from over the mountains (usually humans) would decide to settle down in the town. Those who were disruptive soon found themselves no longer settled down, one way or the other. Those who adapted to the town's life, however, were the reason that the place was so well mixed between humans and Hylians; Hylians, after all, were the dominant race of Hyrule. But even with the infrequent influx of outsiders, the town always remained more or less the same. It was actually the oldest settlement in all of Hyrule if one counted the Sheikan days; even if the time of the shadow folk was not included, it was still older than all places other than Castle City.

So, with all of this in mind, it was perfectly understandable that Link and company were shocked and shaken by the reception the party was given at the entrance.

"Die, scum!" cried the townsman, leaping at Hawke with his stolen Knight's sword. His teammates backed him up, throwing kitchen knives and other sharp objects at the Knights.

Completely taken aback, the Sergeant dodged the blow and stared at the man, nonplussed. He reached out and easily wrested the weapon from the civilian, who clearly had no idea how to handle the sword. A particularly lucky throw landed a rock on his face, causing him to stumble backwards and drop the sword in surprise. He clutched at his bleeding jaw with one hand. The other Knights had all drawn their weapons.

"Halt!" Hawke commanded. His subordinates hesitated. The disarmed man quickly retrieved his blade and lunged forward again.

"Die, betrayer!" he yelled.

The Sheikah moved to the front and knocked out the man before he had time to realize what was happening. One of the others raised a pitchfork.

"You! Another betrayer!" he howled.

"Betrayers! Scum! Liars! Cowards!" hollered the ever-growing throng of people barring entrance to Kakariko. Men and women of varying ages and, judging by dress, professions crowded around, throwing insults or implements at the Knights and the Sheikah. No one was sure how to react to this highly unusual event.

"What's going on?" Link asked loudly, drawing the attention of the mob.

"He's not one of them!" a woman cried. "And there's a girl and a human! What are they doing with the betrayers?"

"What are you talking about, madam?" Hawke asked, still holding his hand to his jaw. "Betrayers? We are Knights of Hyrule sent to aid the Gorons at their request."

"The Gorons, huh?" mocked a man from further back in the crowd. "So that's your new story? Last time it was 'keeping the monsters away.' And then you betrayed us! You called a meeting up at the east end of town and then you killed everyone! And there were Sheikah there, too! They helped you do it!"

"What? That's insane!" Aaron cried. "There's no way the Knights _or_ the Sheikah would attack villagers!"

"And you even killed your own!" another continued. "You killed Knights and Sheikah, too, not just villagers! And the ones who were left tried to feed us some fairy tale about what had happened!"

"Fairy tale?" Link asked.

"They said it was a shade what did it!" an older man replied. "Everybody knows those are children's stories!"

"Dark Link," Avery, Link, and Aurora said simultaneously. They glanced at each other in apprehension.

"It's not a tale," Avery interjected. "The shade does exist. It – he – attacked the Palace as well, killing more than thirty men. He even tried to kill the Princess Zelda." There were gasps; some of them were in shock, and others were in disbelief. "I was there," he continued forcefully. "I fought with the shade. It was only because a Sheikah was also fighting that I managed to get lucky enough to drive him away. His skill is beyond anything the Knights and Sheikah could handle in a straight fight; if he had the element of surprise they were doomed to lose."

"You're making it up," accused a young woman. "Why should we believe you?"

"This," Link said, removing his glove and drawing the Master Sword, allowing the townspeople to see both legendary blade and glittering symbol of the goddesses' power. There was a stunned silence. While the people of Kakariko were not, in general, as familiar with the legends as the noble class or the Sheikah, there were no small amount of people who recognized the Master Sword as the Royal Relic only used to destroy evil; and all present knew that the Triforce had special significance, even if they had no idea what that significance was. Living that close to the Sheikah in a town that could trace its roots back into the mists of time (those who knew said more than a millennium) meant that the impressions left by the legends stayed in the minds of the people, even if the legends themselves were long forgotten.

"Who…are you?" the young woman asked hesitantly.

"Link, of Ordon," he replied, his firm and resounding voice displaying nothing of the uncertainty and confusion he felt inside. Inwardly, he was scared – not because he was afraid that he would be killed, but because he didn't understand what was going on. All he knew is that Dark Link, the evil Hero's Shade, was on the loose somewhere nearby and had killed an undisclosed number of people, including civilians, Knights, and Sheikah. The remaining Knights and Sheikah had either run away, been locked up, or been killed in mistaken revenge by the villagers. The dark being he was secretly afraid of facing again had not left this place alone. Sooner or later, Link would have to face him to stop his pointless cruelty.

"I am a student of Faro and Falo's, formerly of the Hylian Knights. I am a traveler seeking to help as many people as I can. I am the wielder of two ancient swords, the Sword of Souls and the Master Sword." He paused. "I am the Hero of Blades, chosen by the goddesses to fight the evil darkness that is falling over Hyrule. My mission is to fix everything that I can. I will fix Death Mountain. And I will find that shade, wherever he may run, and I will bring him to justice for his crimes." Link's eyes burned with purpose, and his nervousness vanished. "The Knights and the Sheikah are not betrayers. They, too, are victims. I will avenge them. I will avenge your loved ones. I will not let evil triumph!"

He raised his sword and it glowed with a golden light, as did the mark on his hand. The crowd was awed.

"Melodramatic much?" Avery muttered under his breath.

*  
Location: Kakariko  
Time: Night of the eighty-ninth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

Link sat on the edge of the bed, thinking. His display of artifacts and vow of vengeance had convinced the vast majority of the townspeople that they had been wrong; in fact, it seemed that many of them had never believed their own story anyway but had simply been seeking an outlet for their anger and grief. The surviving Knights had indeed fled along with the Sheikah, he found out, and the Sheikah who had accompanied him had immediately left for the Sheikan home to find out the current situation and alert the shadow-dwellers that the Hero had arrived. Link and his companions had been welcomed (and profusely apologized to) by the civilians and given free food and lodgings for the night. There was an inn, but in their eagerness to make up for the assault, the people had decided to put them up individually in homes. The Knights had thought this was a good idea, as it would allow them to protect the Kakariko natives should anything happen. Link was a little less enthusiastic about the idea; he had wanted to have a chance to discuss events with the others.

"Man, it seems like things just keep getting worse everywhere," Aurora commented, running a transparent hand through her hair. She was seated next to Link. "It's kind of depressing."

"Well, Hyrule wouldn't need a Hero is everything was happy and fine," Link noted wryly. "I guess it's a curse to be born into this time."

"Nonsense," Aurora replied dismissively. "You wouldn't have met me if you hadn't been born into this time, would you? What about Scythe Boy and Lexi? The Knights and Princess, meh, but you get the idea."

Link smiled despite the situation. "I guess you're right, Aurora. I do have wonderful friends I would never have had if I had lived a peaceful life in Ordon."

The two friends sat in silence for some time longer. Neither knew what to say. The future was uncertain, with dangers and sadness and trials. Being light-hearted would require effort that Link didn't know whether he could make. He wanted this wonderful country of Hyrule to be a peaceful place. He wanted it to be right again. Adventuring and exploring when it was not a dangerous, deadly, weeping land was his desire. Meanwhile, Aurora did not know how to comfort Link. He was depressed, she understood, but how to bring him back to his cheerful happy-go-lucky personality she did not understand. It came as something of a shock to her, for it meant that she did not know Link as well as she thought she did. She looked at his face, and it pained her. Far worse than the helpless vulnerability of unconsciousness was the hopelessness of depression.

But even then, she knew, this was only the barest hint of true depression. The memories of the previous souls of her Sword let her see what deep, abiding depression looked like. She decided that she would die a thousand times over before letting Link become like that. Whatever it took, she would never allow Link to become that despairing. Even if the world burned around her, she would protect Link from that.

She blinked. That was the first time she had ever thought about wanting to protect Link. Always, it was "stand beside Link," "protect with Link," "fight for Link's sake." Never once had she wanted to protect him. The idea of him needing to be protected had unsettled her. But this genuine desire to protect his gentle heart from the darkest of lost emotions was strong and unyielding. She searched the memories of the other souls.

_I care for him,_ she thought to herself. _No, that isn't strong enough a word. What word am I searching for?_ She pondered. _Love,_ she decided. _I love Link. I love him._

*  
Avery leaned against the wall of the room he was sharing with the young son of the house owner. The child was already asleep, and the youth was thinking.

_Dark Link came to Kakariko. If what Agahnim told me is true, then that probably means the Hero's Shade is prowling around on Death Mountain. It's probably a foolish hope to wish not to encounter him while we're up there. The only question is how we'll run into him. He and Link will be at each other's throats if they see each other. And I don't care how good or lucky Link is, the shade is way above his skill level. The shade _toyed_ with me in the Palace, I know he did. And I still wasn't able to land a single hit on him. If Dark Link fights seriously, Link's done for. I'll have to keep them from seeing each other somehow._

Avery frowned. _Dark Link must think that the Dark Princess might be here, too. Otherwise he wouldn't be here. What exactly is the relationship between Agahnim, Dark Link, and the Dark Princess? Agahnim wouldn't tell me when I asked. Agahnim…I wonder just how much I should take what he says at face value. I know that he lies to me sometimes. It isn't that I trust him, exactly. But…his goals are tangential to mine._

The human youth gave a small sigh. Life was complicated enough for people like Link. For Avery, though, it was a headache to figure out what was what. On the one hand, there was Link and his comrades. They were heroic (in a strange way) and friendly. The Hero of Blades was naïve, which of course bothered Avery, but he was true and honest. There was no deceit in anything he did. Avery had become very good at detecting deceit, having had to become good at engaging in it. Aurora suspected him of something – this he was sure of. She had never really accepted his explanation for why he had burst into the fight against Dark Link (or why he had survived). She had guessed at some connection between him and the Moblins; that, however, he thought he might have been able to convince her otherwise of. Alexis, despite having been an assassin, was nearly as naïve as the Hero. She had no doubts about his honesty. The "good guys" were a compelling crowd; he had begun to feel something of an attachment to them.

On the other hand, there was Agahnim. Agahnim, a dishonest, conniving, sneaking, plotting, scheming black mage of immense power. Master of monsters and evil things. The wizard was without a doubt a true villain. Avery worked for him as much as he worked with the Hero. After the destruction of his hometown by the government of his home country, he had wandered the wilderness alone. Purposeless, but possessing great skill with his weapon, which was named Chainreaper and had belonged to his father, he had taken up the trade of mercenary. This had led him across borders and into Hyrule. For years he had continued to work as a mercenary, becoming a guard. Then, about six months ago, he had met Agahnim.

His immediate reaction had been to attempt to kill the wizard, but the mage had defeated him with laughable ease. Instead of finishing the boy, however, the mage had cast a spell on him that enabled the wizard to read his mind. When the mysterious magician was finished, he had spoken to Avery about a goal, a goal for bringing the world together. A goal for destroying those who did not deserve their power. A goal for eliminating the foolish who sought to do as they would. Of course, Avery could read between the lines, and with time he discovered more of what he thought the wizard's true plan was: free an ancient Evil King named Ganondorf, also called Ganon, and bring ruin to the civilizations of the world. The Evil King would reign supreme over a world full of darkness, while the wizard would…well, he wasn't exactly sure what the wizard got out of it. In any case, he agreed to help.

But he agreed to help not because he wanted to destroy the world. That was largely incidental (and, if everything worked out, wouldn't happen). His own motives he had kept secret, although he suspected that Agahnim knew what they were, at least in part, because of the mind-reading.

So Avery played the role of double agent: working with the Hero while working for Agahnim. But he was troubled. The more time he spent with Link, the more reluctant he became to entertain the idea of betraying the Hero. While he was willing to work with evil, he despised cruelty – he had not lied to Link when he had expressed his distaste of Lord Emit's treatment of the peasant children. Betrayal was not a concept he found hard, but the fact that he was starting to develop a bond with the Hero made it more difficult.

He sighed again.

_If they really become my friends…what will I do?_

*  
Alexis pulled the covers up around herself and buried her face in her pillow. _More death,_ she thought. _More death of innocents at the hands of evil. Is it really my job to fight and protect? I'm just as guilty of murder as the shade is! How can I judge?_

Her family's faces swam before her in her mind.

_But I can't let there be more victims like you,_ she told them. _Or let more people turn out like me. I have to fight. I have to protect. I _want _to protect._ She turned over, still holding the pillow to her face.

_I want to become more like Link_, she decided. _I want to be strong. I want to be brave. I want to be able to look at the world and say, "Here I am! Throw what you've got at me; I can take it! I'm not going to back down until everyone is smiling again!" I want to laugh, and smile, and roll my eyes at the antics of my friends. I want to help people. I want to make others smile. I want to…_

She pulled the pillow away from her face and stared up at the ceiling with her beautiful green eyes, her hair sprawled all over the bed behind her head. "I'm scared," she whispered. "I'm not scared of dying, or of being hurt. I'm just scared of the world. I feel so lost. I thought that when I decided to follow Link and Avery that I knew what I was doing. I thought I was confident and sure of myself. I thought I could handle anything. But I'm none of those things." She shook her head slowly. "I feel more like just a little girl than I've felt since before my family died. All the emotions and feelings that were locked away while I was with Lord Emit have come back."

She closed her eyes, forcing back tears.

"What should I do, brother?"

*  
Location: Sheikah Caverns  
Time: Night of the eighty-ninth day of Summer

"So that's the situation with the capital and the reason you're back here?" the dark-haired man said questioningly.

"Yes sir, that's correct," the young woman said boldly, the shadowy magic that had disguised her form as a man dissipating. The Sheikah woman stared unflinchingly at the questioner. "The Hero of Blades is completely trustworthy," she continued. "Let Depaz know that my vote is on the table for permitting him access. I can't say the same for all of his companions, however. The human that accompanies him is an unknown, but he has great skill with his weapon. I sensed a suspicious item in his possession. I do not know if he can be trusted. The Knights are loyal, but they are not as significant; I would recommend allowing them to meet with the survivor's of the shade's attack. As for the girl, I believe there is more to her than there appears. She is a commoner, yet she shows signs of the Seventh Sage's powers. I cannot comment on her trustworthiness, but she is an admitted assassin who appears to have developed a guilt complex about her crimes."

"I will tell Depaz your assessment. Meanwhile, you should meet with those who were present when the shade struck. If what you say about his identity as the shade of the Hero of Time is true, then that explains much." The man waved his hand in brief dismissal.

_I wonder how my brother is doing in Sherikah?_ the woman pondered as she walked off down the dark hall. _I haven't seen him in almost a year now. Last time I saw him, he was progressing very rapidly as an Acolyte of the Shadow Order._

Kiara, Acolyte of the Shadow Order, the order created hundreds of years ago by Impa, Sage of Shadow, to carry on her powers and knowledge, walked through the stone underground corridors of Sheikah Caverns, no longer disguised as she had been when traveling with the Hero's group from the capital. She was home.

*  
Location: Kakariko  
Time: Morning of the ninetieth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

Link and his companions sat around a large table in the town hall in the central part of the town. The townspeople had been filling them in on the situation. Dark Link's attack had occurred almost a week ago, and the village had been in shambles ever since. Funerals had already been held for the deceased, which included the mayor and all ten of the village elders as well as a half-dozen Knights and two Sheikah. The surviving three Knights had gone into hiding in the Sheikah Caverns. Nobody had really been able to get the village back on its feet with most of the leadership dead; the people who might have been able to help were the ones who had organized the funerals and served as spokespeople. The desperate townspeople wanted Link to tell them what to do.

Link fought with panic. He was a swordsman, not a politician. He did not care for politics of any kind. But these helpless people were turning to him not only for hope and security, but also for leadership. He couldn't just refuse them; they _needed_ someone to help them. But this wasn't where his talent lay. He didn't know _how_ to help them.

"Link, listen to me," Aurora said calmly, noticing the small signs that he was on the verge of losing it. "You need to think carefully about exactly what they're asking of you. You're their Hero, remember. You were the one who told me that the expectations of others affected what you did. If you really want to make a difference, you need to start by listening, not by worrying."

She shook her head. "They haven't asked you to become mayor. They never asked you to become their leader. What they want is direction; what they want is a firm hand to lift them back up so they can fix themselves. They want you to help them, not to fix all their problems for them."

Link took a deep breath to attempt to calm himself. He looked at the middle-aged man wearing overalls who had been particularly outspoken about telling him how things were.

"What's your name?" he asked gently.

"Jiro, sir. I'm the boss of the carpenters in Kakariko."

"Jiro, you seem to have a good understanding of the things that Kakariko needs right now. Would you agree?" _I hope I know what I'm doing…_

Jiro scratched his head. "Well, I can't say I know _everything_, but I got a pretty good grasp of it, yeah."

Link turned to the young woman who had been so ready to disbelieve Avery the day before. "And your name?"

"Trisha. I volunteer around the village with whatever I can. I tend to help with setting up fairs and things."

Link nodded. "You're the one that led the organization of the funerals for the people killed by the shade?" he asked. She nodded. Glancing at Sergeant Hawke, he drew in another breath. _Nayru, please help me make the right decisions._

"Here is what I think you should do," he began. "Jiro, you and Trisha need to work together as a team. Jiro, you figure out what types of things need to be done around the village. Trisha, you organize people to make those things happen." He closed his eyes for a moment to steady himself and then opened them again. "I know it isn't that easy. But right now, the main thing is to take things one step at a time. People need help working through their grief, and working to make the town a happy and whole place once again will be the best cure. Is there anyone you know who is very good at bringing people together? Who organized the townspeople to fight? They weren't an undisciplined mess, so someone must have led them."

"Kevin," Trisha answered. "He's not much older than you and doesn't have a lot of experience, but he has very good skills with people. His speeches can rouse people like nothing else, and people respect him."

"Then enlist his help. For the time being, the three of you will be the main leaders of Kakariko. It's your responsibility to guide her. Trisha, you can use your organizing skills to find people who can help you; Jiro, you find out what needs to be done; and Kevin can bring the people together to work with you at restoring peace and order to the town."

The carpenter and young woman nodded. They turned and led the rest of the townspeople in the hall (who now immediately respected them as leaders since they had been vested with that authority by the Hero) out to begin. As soon as the companions were alone, Link sagged in his chair.

"Oh, thank you, Nayru. Thank you Farore. Din…well, I'll be counting on you when it comes time to face Dark Link."

Hawke raised his eyebrows.

"I'm rather impressed with you, Link," he said. "The real problem the town has right now is lack of leaders. The other problems aren't really any worse than they normally are. You took care of that problem by appointing leaders to specific positions and giving them the authority to add more to their ranks. Until the town is calmed down enough to actually vote on such things themselves, this solution should work fairly well."

"Not to be rude, but I'm surprised you didn't just break down," Tim, one of the swordsmen, said. "I mean, I know you're an impressive fighter, but you don't seem comfortable at all with these kind of situations."

"I wasn't so much surprised as I was awed," Avery commented. "I thought you would freeze up until someone else had to step in. I didn't know you had it in you."

Alexis stood up indignantly. "What is it with you all?" she demanded. "Impressive, amazing – sure, Link did a great job! But why wouldn't he? He's Link!"

"I think you have a 'Hero-worshipper,'" Aurora remarked snidely. Link was too worn out to frown at her.

"I suppose you're right, Alexis," Matt, the other swordsman, said. "We shouldn't be underestimating the Hero chosen by the goddesses."

Link groaned. "Look," he said, his head lying on the table, "I'm not that amazing. I just keep getting really, really, really lucky. Major Damien is a better fighter than me. Princess Zelda is a better leader than me. Any Sheikah is a better investigator than me. The militia captain Mick of Lon Lon is a better organizer than me. I just happen to have two magic swords and a golden tattoo on the back of my hand."

"You're selling yourself short," Avery disagreed. "I won't deny that you have an obscene amount of luck, but you are an incredibly intelligent man. You have a heart bigger than most. You are merciful to your enemies. Think about it, Link. Alexis tried to kill you at the Blood Brawl." Alexis winced. "It would have been perfectly reasonable to reciprocate. Or at least to use lethal force. But I was watching, and not only did you go out of your way to not hurt her, but when you knocked her out you made sure to catch her before her head hit the ground to prevent concussion." He shook his head.

"As for you not being as good a fighter as the Major – you're how old? Seventeen? Do you have any idea how astounding it is for a seventeen-year-old to be able to best a Major, even by a fluke? You beat Major Elswood. You've won a few spars against Damien." He raised his hand. "And Zelda. The Princess had been basting in politics and the like since she was a toddler; I would hardly expect a boy from a tiny village with little formal education to be on her level. As far as investigating goes, didn't you tell me that you were able to navigate the underground tomb at Lon Lon better than Aurora? Weren't you the one who broke the curse on the ranch town? Organization? Look what you just did with no prior notice. You were almost panicking, but you were still able to pull it off."

The human settled back in his chair.

"I'm done praising, now," he said. "I'm going to be quiet for the rest of the day, if you don't mind." His lip curled in a slight half-smile.

_Uh…wow,_ thought Aurora. _I…completely didn't expect anything like that from Avery. He's full of surprises. Maybe he's better than I gave him credit for._

Link turned his head and stared at Avery in surprise. He hadn't expected it any more than Aurora had. Avery could be pretty passionate when he wanted to be. He was beginning to realize how little he really understood those he called friends. He wanted to understand them more. Avery's words had really stunned him. Was he really such a spectacular person? It just didn't make sense. All he was was a village boy who happened to have goddess-blessed luck and a desire to help everyone who needed it. But…people believed in him. It was a truly heartening fact. People who knew him on a personal level, whose expectations weren't based on his position, believed in him.

"You…really caught me?" Alexis asked in an embarrassed voice, breaking the silence.

Link slowly sat up. He turned to face her. "Er…yes, I did," he confirmed nervously, unsure what she was thinking. "Like Avery said, I didn't want you to get hurt."

"Even though I was trying to kill you and almost succeeded?" she queried, looking surprised.

"That's right," Link responded.

Aaron watched the exchange with an amused smile on his face. _Ah, to be young_, he thought, and snickered quietly.

"I, um, thank you," Alexis said mildly, wishing she had a veil to cover her face, which she felt growing warm.

"You're welcome, I guess?" Link answered, rubbing his head. _This is awkward._

There was a short silence.

"Well, that's enough of that," Aurora said briskly. " Let's go get something to eat." She paused. "Not that I can, being ethereal and all," she mused.

"That was a rather abrupt change of direction," Link remarked. "But you're right. I'm hungry. We've dealt with the town for now; we'll just have to wait for the Sheikah to come to us, since we have no idea where they are."

"I have a feeling we won't have to wait long," Avery murmured. Aurora turned to give him a fictitious affronted look.

"I thought you weren't talking for the rest of the day?" she demanded.

**END CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

**COMING NEXT IN CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: TRIAL OF TRUTH**

Link is given his first introduction to Sheikan society; if one can truly call it an introduction. If he wants the Sheikah to help, he must undergo a task known as the Trial of Truth.


	19. Trial of Truth

**Notes:** Um…k. Posted now. Please forgive me.

**Original Notes**: Okay! So… I have a few things to say about this chapter. Number one: The "language" (you'll know what I'm talking about when you get to it) is in reality made up of nonsense. I didn't want to use a real foreign language for multiple reasons, not the least of which is I'd probably make a fool of myself _and_ people who really wanted to could figure out what was said. If I somehow end up with real words from some unknown foreign language in there, it is by complete accident. Number two: The Trial of Truth…I'm going to guess that some people will find some of it a bit confusing. Let's just say that some parts will be explained (or the characters will acknowledge not knowing answers to it) later on. Number three: Enjoy! And don't get upset about the fight scene – it's _supposed_ to be a bit over the top.

**Previous Chapter Summary**: Link and friends make their way toward Kakariko, fighting a Peahat on the way. Once they reach the village, they discover that it has been attacked by Dark Link. Link sorts things out as best as he can, calming the crowd and appointing new leaders, despite his nervousness. The group is allowed to rest in various homes, where they wait for the next day. Kiara, the Sheikah who had disguised herself as a man while accompanying the group, reports to her superiors.

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Trial of Truth**

Location: Kakariko  
Time: Late morning of the ninetieth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

Link looked up at the gargantuan windmill. How it was turning, even as slowly as it was, in the very slight summer breeze was unknown to the boy; he would have thought that the panel-propeller-things (_whatever they're called,_ he shrugged) would be too heavy for such a weak wind to move. Whatever the case, the massive structure continued to spin at a slow, steady pace, giving it the appearance of being a tired, lumbering giant. Once upon a time, he had been told by Avery (who had been here before), the town had a smaller, more useful windmill that pumped the water from the well. But eventually, the windmill had become the representative symbol of Kakariko, and as the town grew larger, they constructed a new, larger windmill that could be seen from far away. It was so big, in fact, that it towered far taller than any other building he had laid eyes on, with the obvious exception of the Palace – which, at over nine stories (some of which were "several stories high" themselves) high (not including the towers, the tallest of which added another ten,), was the single tallest structure in all of Hyrule. The windmill must have topped out at close to a hundred feet, plus whatever extra height the movable bits added.

"That is a biiig building," Aurora noted, staring upward.

"Thanks, Aurora," Link responded amiably. "I never would have noticed by myself."

"Glad you have the courage to admit it," she shot back glibly.

"I take pride in my humility," he answered.

"Funny thing to take pride in," a smooth voice side from right behind him. He whirled around so fast he almost lost his balance, jumping back away from the speaker before his mind registered the Sheikan outfit the young man wore.

"What _is_ it with you Sheikah?" Link exclaimed. "You all seem intent on giving me heart attacks! Are you psychologically _incapable_ of approaching me like a normal person?"

"Aw, good boy, Link!" Aurora said happily, patting the air just above Link's head. "My personality has started to rub off on you!"

Aurora's comment made the boy give a guilty start, and he frowned.

"That's not a good thing, Aurora. I'm picking up your bad habits. I'm supposed to be the friendly, cheerful, and helpful type. It's what I've been my whole life. You're making me rude."

"Don't blame me for your mimicry," she said dismissively. "It's not my fault you decided to follow my example."

"I'm going to assume that you're speaking to your sword, rather than ranting incoherently," the black-haired Sheikah said with a straight face. "It does look rather odd, however. I'd suggest you keep it to a minimum where we're going if you want to leave a good impression."

"Where…we're going?" Link asked uncertainly. Aurora raised an eyebrow.

"The Sheikah Caverns, ancestral home of the Sheikan people. Only Sheikah and a small number of trusted outsiders are allowed inside. The higher ups decided to permit you entrance, but none of your friends can come. Obviously, the sentient sword can come with you since it is one of your weapons."

"She," Aurora corrected. "I'm a she. No, don't ask how a soul can have a gender. It makes my head hurt."

The Sheikah didn't hear her and Link ignored her. "So you're taking me there now?"

The man nodded. "That's correct. There's an entrance not too far from where we are now, on the other side of the windmill."

*  
Location: Sheikah Caverns  
Time: Late morning of the ninetieth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

The Shadow Folk. The Shadow-dwellers. It wasn't just that they were sneaky and could blend into the shadows whenever they wanted to; down here, they quite literally lived in the shadows. The caverns, created by a combination of natural forces and stone-sculpting, were dimly lit by torches. In many places, Link had to strain his eyes to see. Hylian ears might outmatch human ones, but Sheikan eyes were far superior to those of the Hylians. The caverns were not illuminated with the eyesight of the surface-dwelling races in mind. Squint as he might need to, he still saw enough to make him marvel.

While much of the passages seemed to be at least primarily caused by nature, the Sheikah had added their own touches. Unfamiliar runes and symbols were carved along many surfaces, especially the stone (and occasional wooden) doors. The infrequent torch brackets at first appeared ornate; until one realized that they were actually designed to be taken apart and used as projectile weapons and knives. In some of the more sculpted rooms, beautiful and eerie statues of people and animals looked out of the walls. The sheer number of hidden doors and passages that he was led through was mind-boggling. In some of the rooms, unfamiliar weapons of all sorts hung from racks on the walls or were draped onto hooks secured to the ceilings.

Link quickly gave up on trying to keep track of his relative location. This place was mazelike enough without the seemingly random passages through walls and floors and ceilings. He simply gazed around in silence as he followed his guide. He saw only a few other Sheikah, despite the distance that he traveled, and he suspected that those he did see had purposely allowed him to find them. Not all of them wore the traditional uniform – a few of them dressed like Hylian commoners. Their eyes stood out to him; they were all shades of brown or red.

He wasn't sure he liked the similarity between their eyes and Dark Link's eyes.

His sense of the passage of time was distorted as well as his sense of direction. Since he had no way of monitoring time in the ever-present shadows, and there were no landmarks that he could judge distance with in the twisting corridors, he couldn't tell whether he had been walking for minutes or hours when his guide finally brought him to a halt. The Sheikah turned to the tunic-wearing youth and gestured at the stone wall engraved with the crying eye, the symbol of the Sheikah, with his right hand.

"Be mindful of your manners inside," he said. "You'll be meeting with Depaz, one of the leaders of the Sheikah people. We of the shadow folk have different customs than you Hylians, so follow my lead." Link nodded, and the Sheikah pressed his hand on the eye, uttering a short collection of syllables that meant nothing to Link. The wall wavered and disappeared into shadow. His guide led to the other side.

Like the rest of the Caverns, this rather large (compared to the other places Link had seen in the Caverns) room was also in complete shadow. It was a roughly hemi-spherical room, about sixty feet in diameter. Along the edges of the room, spaced about ten feet apart, large statues approximately nine feet tall stood facing the center of the room. They were intricately carved, and in the shadowy illumination of the room it was easy to believe that they could come to life at any moment. Most of them were obviously Sheikah, but there was one Hylian woman who looked a bit like Zelda, a Hylian man who was clearly a Hero given his dress and weapon, Saria, Rauru, a Zora, a Goron, and a woman with rounded ears wielding a pair of scimitars. In the center of the room was a body-sized circular mirror set flat into the floor at the center of a painted Sheikah symbol. In the center of each of the triangles of the symbol was a small statue wrought of pure gold of unclothed female figures with long, flowing hair. Each was holding a basin. The one on the left held a basin from which a small tree carved of emerald appeared to grow, the one in the center contained a ruby flame, and the one on the right was filled to the brim with a pool of water fashioned from a large sapphire.

So caught up was Link in surveying the room (and absently wishing it was better lit and therefore easier to see) that he didn't even notice the Sheikah seated in a stone chair placed directly across from the entrance, between the statues of the Princess and Hero, until the individual spoke.

"Welcome to the Hall of Memory, Hero of Blades," she said in a soft, but lethal, voice. There did not seem to be any malice in her greeting, but the dangerous tone with which she spoke almost had Link reaching for his swords before he realized who had spoken. The crimson eyes of the black-haired woman slid from Link to Aurora. "And welcome to you as well, Sword of Souls." Aurora gave a small start.

The guide who had brought Link to the Hall crossed his arms and twisted his hands in a peculiar gesture in front of his face, slowly bringing them down and separating them, ending in a kneeling bow. Link glanced at him before attempting to mimic the action. Aurora simply stood and watched.

"_Nae allia grae shiil._ I have brought Link, Hero of Blades, to you as you commanded, Shadow Master," the guide said respectfully. "I will now take my leave of you. _Healli surala._" He performed the gesture again and back out, the wall reforming as soon as he passed through it.

Aurora's eyes widened.

"Impossible!" she said in disbelief. "That language is from the Kurilik Kingdom period! Assuming the Arren Empire was the last nation before Hyrule, and Hyrule has been around for at least two thousand years, that language hasn't been spoken in almost four thousand years!"

The Sheikan leader's expression did not alter from the serious, emotionless mask it had been from the start. She simply said, "It is not impossible, Sword of the Blademaster. The Sheikah race has existed and maintained its history for far longer than any other race. That language is the original language of the Sheikah."

Aurora didn't even bother to attempt to mask her surprise. "You know what I am?" she gaped. "You know what the Sword of Souls is?"

Depaz did not move. "That is correct. You are a legendary blade of enormous magical power, older than even the Master Sword. Lore says that you were created at the behest of the goddesses long ago. You are neither inherently good nor evil; your soul's purity or corruptness depends on the heart of the one who awakes you to life. When you passed from history near the end of the Empire, the goddesses replaced you with a tool that could not be misused for evil purposes, the Master Sword. That you are now once again found and wielded by the same Hero who carries the Blade of Evil's Bane can only be fate, a sign from the divine of the terrible things the Hero must face."

"My soul's purity or corruptness…?" she said hesitantly. This was news to her. Yet another fact that none of the souls of the Sword of Souls knew despite the thousands of years of accumulating knowledge. How did the Sheikah know it, then? She pondered whether she wanted to ask or not, but before she had reached a decision, the Shadow Master had begun speaking again, this time addressing Link.

"Hero of Blades," she began, "you are unique among the Heroes of Hyrule in that you are the first to fight with more than one sword. You will undoubtedly face burdens beyond those of the previous Heroes. Your road will be long and arduous. Do you truly believe that you have the will to persevere?"

Link paused. Did he? To be honest, he wasn't really sure. The current situation was already difficult for him to handle, emotionally. But he had no intentions of giving up.

"I don't know whether I can make it through to the end," he said slowly, "but I intend to try. It would be a lie to say I'm not scared. The death and destruction that the evil forces are wreaking causes me to want to curl up in a ball and cry. However," he continued, suddenly staring the Sheikah straight in her eyes, his own beginning to burn with purpose, "I will face the trials that come. If it frightens me, if it causes me pain, then how much worse is it for everyone else with no power to fight it? How much worse is it for those who can only watch in horror as everything is destroyed around them? I have the power to stand up and fight, not only for myself, but for all those who cannot. I have the _responsibility_ to do so. I have never, not once, been able to see someone in need and not wanted to help. I have no intentions of changing that now."

Depaz merely stared impassively back. There was a short silence. "You are very honest, Link of Hyrule. You are forthright about your thoughts and feelings. I can sense no false bravado in your words. You acknowledge your insecurities, but you refuse to let them rule you. That, Link, is why you were chosen by the Triforce of Courage. That is the essence of courage. Contrary to what some believe, fearlessness and cowardice are both antitheses of true courage. Fearlessness ignores those weaknesses that make you mortal, leading to foolish recklessness. Cowardice lets those weaknesses control you, leading to powerlessness. True courage embraces both weakness and strength, creating a balance that sustains you in all circumstances."

The Sheikah leader paused. "I am glad to see that you are such an honest and courageous young man," she said, neither her face nor her voice showing any sign of her proclaimed gladness. "But I cannot simply pledge the assistance of my people to your aid." Link raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Why is that, Shadow Master?" he asked, using the title his guide had.

"The Sheikah are a complex and secretive people," she answered in the same dangerous voice she had been using the entire conversation. "We are guided by tradition that carries back thousands of years. Whatever my opinion of you, regardless of your status as Hero, I am not permitted to pass judgment on your worth." She fell silent again for a brief moment. "The plight of the Gorons is indeed a moving one, but the Sheikah are not a people moved by heart. If you truly desire our aid, you must prove yourself worthy of it, as the ancient King Hyrule did millennia ago. Once you have proven yourself, you will be aided whenever you ask."

"And how is Link supposed to prove himself?" Aurora questioned, returning her full attention to the matter at hand. "You just said that you can't judge his worth."

For the first time, the red-eyed woman moved, lifting her right hand and gesturing at the mirror set in the floor.

"He must pass the Trial of Truth," she said. "And he must pass it alone. Sword of Souls, you must remain aside. Link, this test may be life threatening. If you have the resolve to do so, step onto the mirror."

Link stared at the mirror from where he stood. He could make out nothing in its reflective surface. He contemplated his action, though he knew that there really was no choice. He didn't understand why the fact that it had been the Royal Family of Hyrule who had sent him was not enough to garner the help of the Shadow Folk, but he was nervous to ask. Depaz, he knew, was deadly. He had the distinct impression that if she wanted to it was within her abilities to kill him where he stood. And being in the presence of a being with such power who had shown him no reason to suspect she had any compassion or conscience was unsettling, to say the least.

Aurora, however, had no such compunction.

"But the King and Princess are the ones asking for assistance for the sake of the Gorons, not Link," she pointed out. "If the Sheikah serve the Royal Family, then don't you have to help him anyway?" She frowned. "Besides, what gives you the right to demand he take some potentially lethal thing for no reason? He's already been chosen by the _goddesses_. Isn't that kind of arrogant of you?"

There was a flicker of something unreadable in Depaz's eyes. "We are not hounds who obey the command to attack on the whim of our master," she said. If she hadn't already had a deadly-sounding voice, Link would have assumed that Aurora had angered her. "We will aid you, yes. What supplies and gear you need will be given. Advice and a single guide will also be provided for you. But we will not fight for you unless you have proven yourself."

"I _just_ said," Aurora growled, now obviously angry at the Sheikah, "that Link has _already_ been proven beyond _anything_ that your _whole damn race_ could ever judge by virtue of the fact that he was _chosen by the goddesses of creation_. He's got the Triforce. He's got the Master Sword. What more do you have the right to demand, you demon-eyed, heartless…_gaerelsoldi_?"

Before Link even had time to blink, Depaz was in front of him, glaring with cold fury at Aurora. The shadows around him solidified and froze him in place as though he were in ice. Aurora jerked back in surprise but did not back down, and she returned the angry glare.

"Silence, soul-given steel. You have no understanding of the ways of my people. You have no right to speak so about our rules. If you ever disrespect me or my people like that again, I will banish both you _and_ your wielder from the Sheikah Caverns."

"Oh? So you think that you –"

"Aurora," Link forced the word past his unmoving jaw. She halted mid-sentence and noticed for the first time that Link had been sealed in place. The anger left her face to be replaced by shock. It was only temporary, however, and when the anger returned it was stronger than before.

"Please, Aurora," he managed as she opened her mouth. "Just let it go."

Aurora struggled with herself. After a long moment, she settled down and said in a calm, obviously forced, voice, "I apologize for my insults of both your race and you personally, so will you release Link?"

The pressure immediately vanished from around the youth, and Depaz's face was once again an expressionless mask. In a small whirlpool of darkness, she vanished, and when she reappeared she was seated in her chair.

Link drew the Sword of Souls and laid it carefully on the floor. Aurora's face darkened, but she didn't say anything. With measured steps, Link walked forward until he stood in the center of the mirror. For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then, his eyes widened in surprise as the three gold statues began to move. The one on the left placed her emerald tree basin onto the mirror. He looked down, and he saw that reflected in the mirror was no gem-cut copy but an actual tree, massive and spreading out its mighty branches in all directions. His own reflection formed in the mirror as well. Instead of the interior of the Caverns, he saw that within the mirror it was a bright, blue-skied day. He felt a sudden lurch, and his perception shifted.

*  
Location: Unknown  
Time: During the Trial of Truth

He blinked. He was standing on a grassy hill, facing a mighty tree as twice as big around as he was tall. He could hear the sound of birds and feel a gentle breeze. He looked up, and through the leaves of the tree he could see a fair blue sky. He turned, and he saw that he was atop of a tall hill in a grassy rolling plain; the land spread out into the distance in all directions, filled with plant life – bushes and trees were randomly placed at frequent intervals, but none of them compared to the one beside him. On second thought, he supposed, it was more like a sparse forest spread out across many miles than a plain. He looked back to the tree.

"Where am I?" he asked aloud, wondering. "I'm inside the image in the mirror, but where is this?"

He walked up to the tree and studied it. He couldn't identify what type of tree it was, but it looked a little bit like an oak. He placed his hands gently on it and felt it through his gloves. The surface was smoother than he had expected by looking at it. He stared at it in silence.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" a girl's voice said from behind him.

He turned around slowly, curiously. This place was peaceful and calm; he had no reason to expect danger here. A girl of indeterminate age stood several feet away from him. Her appearance was impossible to grasp. As soon as his mind applied one adjective to her, like "fair-skinned" or "red-haired," that aspect would change. Or, more accurately, it would seem to him as if he had merely assigned the incorrect adjective; she wasn't fair-skinned, she was dark-skinned, and her hair wasn't red, it was blonde. It wasn't like Aurora's constantly changing colors, for that was a clear and definite visible change; this was completely different, and it did not apply only to colors. The only adjectives which remained constant were "beautiful," "kind," and "gentle." Even things like age (was she a child? Was she an old lady?) and build were inconstant.

"It's called the Tree of Living Courage," she said, smiling. "And it has the will to live forever. No matter what storms or fierce wild animals come, it keeps standing tall. It won't ever cower or submit to the forces that seek to destroy it."

"Yes," Link replied, his voice betraying his wonder, "it is beautiful. Are those fruits up in the branches?" he asked, pointing as small spherical shapes he could scarcely make out in the branches far above him.

"That's right," the girl said, clapping her hands delightedly. "It makes fruit to give to the animals and people who respect it. But it lets even those who care for nothing but the fruit carry away their delicious meals, and it is happy to do so. It loves life, you see, and it wants nothing more than to make life better for all living things."

He looked back to the girl, nodding. "I understand," he said earnestly. "I feel like that, too! I want to help people; I always have since I was little. I always enjoyed my life in Ordon," he said, smiling at the memory. "I loved living. It was simply natural to help people all the time. Why not share my happiness with others?" He hesitated, surprised at his own use of the past tense.

"Do you not feel that way any longer?" the girl asked him curiously.

"I…thought I did," he responded honestly. "But now, I'm not so sure. I mean, I do want to help people. I want to help people who need my help, like the Gorons or the Kakarikans. But… I haven't really felt the same joy of simply being alive that I used to have for a long time now." His eyes saddened and he lowered his face. "Ever since…I first killed in battle."

"Do you regret killing?"

Link looked up. "Yes," he replied in a pained voice, as if confessing to a crime. "Yes, I regret it. I regret ending every life that I've taken. The Bulblins, the Bokoblins, the Lizalfos, even the Kargaroks and Guay!" He paused, coming to a sudden realization. "No," he said slowly, "that's not entirely true. I've never felt guilty for killing Skulltulas or Peahats, or for destroying undead, though I guess the latter really isn't taking a life." He looked the girl in her compassionate eyes. "Should I feel guilty for them, too?" he asked.

"The undead are not alive," she answered, "but the spiders and plants are. Are they truly all that different from the other creatures you have killed?"

Link found himself at a loss for what to say. Of course there was a difference, he thought; it was like a continuum. They were mindless. The Kargaroks and Guay were like animals in intellect, a step above. And the others were as intelligent as people (very stupid people, but people nonetheless). But somehow, that explanation seemed hollow to him now. It had always made sense before. But for some reason, just as he thought it, it seemed to be merely a justification, a corrupted way of viewing the world. After all, hadn't this girl just described the Tree of Living Courage as having a will?

"I…don't know," he said at last, unable to come up with an answer. It was silent for a while, the only sound that of the birds above and of the wind.

"I grew up in the forest," he said, "and I learned to respect nature. But sometimes a tree would need to be felled, or an insect infestation wiped out. Weeds were pulled out of the gardens. None of those things were wrong, were they?" He tilted his head in question. "So isn't it the same as when I killed Skulltulas or that Peahat?"

The girl nodded. "It's the same," she said. "As it is when Kargaroks or Guay which are attacking travelers or villagers are killed. As it is when you hunt for food. As it is when Bulblins and Bokoblins die in the protection of innocents." She looked at him seriously. "But in Ordon, you do not go out into the woods and cut down trees for no reason. You do not seek out the homes of ants and termites in the woods which pose no threat to your own homes and destroy them."

Link nodded slowly. "I think I understand," he said. "Killing, in and of itself, is not wrong. There are times when it is right and appropriate to take life, whether that life is plant, animal, or even another form like a monster or" – he paused briefly, struck by the novelty of what he was about to say – "a person. But killing should only be done in certain circumstances, and always with the full knowledge of the significance of what is being done. Killing without need, or without cause, or simply for sport is what is wrong. Is that what you're saying?"

The girl nodded, a pleased smile on her face.

Link turned back to the tree, a feeling of relief flooding through him. He did not have to bear the burden of his killings, so long as his compunction against killing remained intact. It was as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He looked at the tree fondly. It brought back memories of Ordon. The place, with its quiet forest and friendly village. The people, like Faro and Alice. He felt a slight pang of homesickness as he thought of Alice. He would have to go home to visit her sometime soon.

He looked up at the fruit again, remembering what the girl had said. It gave its fruit even to those who cared nothing for it and offered no gratitude. The boy he had saved at the illegal tournament floated through his mind. The young boy who, after having had his life saved by Link, showed nothing but anger and distaste for his savior.

"Do you regret saving him?" the girl asked, as though she had read his mind.

Surprisingly undisturbed by her reference to something he had not said aloud, he shook his head.

"I was sad that he was not grateful. I was dismayed that he would reject me and my advice after I had guaranteed that his life would continue. But I never once regretted my action. Even if he had cursed me and called me enemy, I still would not regret it." Link revolved back to face the girl. "And I intend to be that way about my job as Hero, as well. I will help people; I will save people; and it won't matter if they don't appreciate me. It won't matter if they hate me. I will still gladly defend them against evil."

"I'm happy to hear that," the girl said, eyes sparkling. "And will you keep fighting on their behalf, no matter what storms you must weather, like this tree?"

"I will," he confirmed with conviction.

The girl stepped up close to him. "Then you have my blessing," she said, and touched his left hand. There was a flash of light, and everything lurched again.

*  
Location: Sheikah Caverns, Hall of Memories  
Time: During the Trial of Truth

When Link opened his eyes, he was standing on the mirror once again.

The gold statue picked up its basin and returned to its original position. The second statue placed the basin that held the flame carved of ruby onto the mirror. Looking down again, Link saw the reflection of a roaring flame, the starry night sky far above it. His reflection formed again, and with another lurch, he was gone from the Caverns.

*  
Location: Unknown  
Time: During the Trial of Truth

He was standing on a patch of barren, red earth. To his right there was a drop off into a canyon so deep that he couldn't make out the bottom. To his left, a great earthen and rocky mountain arose high into the night sky, stretching out of sight. In front of him, a massive flame burned, crackling and snapping loudly in the night. It had no discernable fuel source, nor did it move from its spot. Unlike the cool breeze of the plain/forest, here it was scorching hot, seeming to burn the earth just around the flame into fine sands. The silent majesty of the tree was replaced by the burning power of the fire. Link resisted the urge to fan himself; the excitement provoked by the flame was far more exhilarating than the relief provided by a breeze would be satisfying.

He was about to turn around to see what was behind him when he heard a firm, almost wild, woman's voice from that direction.

"Makes your heart pound faster, doesn't it?" she said, as though she expected him to agree wholeheartedly. Her passionate and forceful voice was a sharp contrast to the calm and compassionate one of the other girl. Link completed his intended action and faced the woman, who stood a short distance away.

Like the previous encounter, there were many things that seemed to change as soon as his mind described them, including eyes, hair, and skin. But unlike the other, this woman had a constant form. She was neither extremely young nor very old, but in her prime. She was well-muscled. She looked like a warrior or an athlete. She, too, was beautiful, but in an entirely different way than the inconstant-formed girl from before. The only other adjectives he felt comfortable in assigning her were "powerful" and "passionate."

"It's the Flame of Forming Power," she continued. "It made the canyon and the mountain. It's making a desert right now. Nothing can stop it. It's relentless and unflinching. All attempts to put it out will amount to nothing."

"Yeah," he said enthusiastically, feeling his blood in his veins. This was a feeling similar to the feeling he felt in battle. "It's inspiring. It makes me feel like I'm ready to take on anything just to look at it!"

The woman roared with encouraging laughter. "That's the spirit!" she yelled. "You've got quite the appetite for a good fight! I like that!" Suddenly, flaming swords formed in her hands. Her eyes shone brightly. "What do you say to a good spar?"

"I like the sound of that!" he responded, drawing his swords, for some reason unsurprised to find that the Sword of Souls was back in its sheath despite having deliberately set it aside before stepping on the mirror. He stepped into his original ready stance, and she mimicked it. They met each other's shining-eyed grins and lunged.

He swung his right sword in a downward diagonal, stabbing with his left, and she easily blocked with her right sword and knocked aside his left sword with her own. Spinning, she tripped him with her leg – or at least, that was the obvious intent, but Link sprang up over her offending limb and came down with both swords slashing downward. She whirled to his right and brought her right sword down toward his back. He rolled forward as soon as he hit the ground, causing her fiery blade to miss by a fraction of an inch. He turned, catching her next attack on the Sword of Souls, which burst into the lightning wreath, slashing at her legs with the Master Sword.

She leapt high into the air, more than twenty feet off of the ground, and hurtled toward him like a spinning comet. He raised the Sword of Souls and the Master Sword up in a cross defense, and the lightning barrier dome cracked into existence just as she reached its location. She was reflected off the barrier and landed on the ground in front of him, her swords held out, unscathed. She was still grinning, and Link knew that he was as well. As soon as the barrier vanished, she charged him, striking up at his chest in an arc from her left to her right with her right sword and slashing at his left side in a backhanded slash with her left sword.

He pointed the Master Sword downward at his side, blocking the strike at his left, while countering the attack to his chest with the Sword of Souls. The blades skittered against each other, and the lightning around the Sword reached out and trapped her blade to his. With one sword locked each, the two of them began to duel at constant close range with their remaining swords. They slashed, blocked, thrust, dodged, parried, and slashed some more. Every impact made their blades ring out. Every block required every ounce of Link's strength. Every strike was given everything he had.

Suddenly, she tore her blade free of the magnetism power and began a furiously swift assault. Under an attack like this, Link would normally have been forced back, but somehow he was able to stand his ground, his blades sending sparks as they flew to block and counter the woman's attacks. With a sudden surge of strength, he pressed back, and they stood on equal footing. Suddenly she retreated, and she began to dance a complicated dance, whirling her blades in complex motions. Flames sprang into existence along the places she weaved her weapons, and the air became alive with fire.

Link swung the Sword of Souls, sending a Lightning Cord hurtling toward her. She crossed her swords to block and flames sprang up around her, dispersing the attack. Link ducked and dodged the flames that weaved their way through the air, all the while sending arcs of lightning toward his opponent by swinging the Sword of Souls. Leaping and twisting to avoid the crackling electricity, she returned the favor, swinging one sword and then the other, sending a pair of flaming fireballs toward him. The Master Sword glowed gold as he knocked one aside, altering its trajectory ninety degrees so that it impacted with the mountain and exploded. The second successfully struck him, the subsequent blast sending him flying backwards.

He landed in a sideways roll, ending mere inches away from the canyon drop off. The fire on him had been put out by the roll; he was singed and probably bruised but otherwise unharmed. The woman cross-slashed and arcs of flames flew out toward him.

*  
Location: Sheikah Caverns  
Time: During the Trial of Truth

Aurora watched Link apprehensively. He was standing completely still on the mirror, looking straight forward with a faraway look in his eyes. The first time this had happened, shortly after the first basin had been placed on the mirror, she had become alarmed; but Depaz assured her that Link was engaging in the trial. Link had then returned to himself, only to have it happen again when the second basin was laid down. For some reason that she couldn't identify, she knew that this part of the trial was more dangerous than the last. She wished she could be there with him. It was for this reason that she was apprehensive.

"What exactly is happening with this trial?" Aurora asked, somewhat nervously.

"I cannot tell you," Depaz responded.

"This had better not be just because it's a secret," the sword-girl warned.

"No," Depaz said. "I cannot tell you because I do not know. The Trial of Truth is different for every person who takes it. All that I can say is that the Trial is not one administered by mortals." She gestured to the gold statues. Aurora blinked, and her eyes slowly widened as she connected the dots.

"The goddesses of creation themselves are testing Link?" she cried. Depaz chose to remain silent. Aurora shook her head in panic.

"But…you said this was potentially life-threatening! That means that …" she looked at the three statues. _First, Farore. Last, Nayru. But right now…_ "Oh, goddess. Din is the goddess of Power. He could…that…he…Link!" she cried, grabbing the Sword of Souls off of the ground, ignoring the jolt of pain as she did so. She jumped onto the mirror and slammed it into his hand, which closed over it reflexively. Her transparent form vanished as she entered into the sword and its gem began to glow. Depaz's eyes widened, but she did not intervene. The goddesses would decide how to deal with the Sword's interference.

*  
Location: Unknown  
Time: During the Trial of Truth

His back to the canyon and the crisscross of searing flames hurtling toward him, he had nowhere to go. There were really only two options – get hit and scorched, potentially fatally, while being thrust backward over the cliff to his death; or jump off before the flames hit him. Neither seemed like a particularly good option.

Then the gem on the Sword of Souls suddenly began glowing brightly, and he could feel Aurora's mind brushing his very faintly. He made out two words through the haze.

_Flashbolt step._

Trusting the words and his instincts, he gripped the sword tighter and made to step sideways, knowing that if nothing special happened he would be hit before he had a chance to think about it.

His foot touched the ground, and suddenly he felt a rush of movement. He blinked, discovering that with that single step he had somehow moved some thirty feet, safely out of range of the flaming attack. His opponent turned to face him, her grin no longer matching his. Instead, her teeth were bared in a feral grin, and it once again brought the word "wild" to mind.

"It seems your friend wants to help you out!" she cried. "That's fine with me. I'll just kick this battle up a notch!"

She raised her swords up toward the sky, then crouched low. Link watched, waiting, his own weapons held up in a defensive position. With an untamed cry, she sprang up, her powerful legs shoving off of the ground with incredible force, even causing two sculpted footprint imprints in the hard earth. She shot up from the ground, fire blazing around her like armor before spreading out to engulf her as though she were a comet. She soared high into the sky until all that was visible was a small flame the size of the stars.

_Link,_ Aurora's voice came through the hazy connection. _I don't know how all this works, but you were able to use flashbolt step, so I'm going to guess that any move I can do is usable by you where you are. Focus for me on this phrase; it might help to say it aloud: Moon's Wrath!_

There was a fiery circle that spread out rapidly from the fire-wreathed combatant. Link's eyes widened, though the fighting joy did not leave him, when he saw what was happening. The comet metaphors for his opponent had just become much more literal. Flaming balls of various sizes, from house-sized to apple-sized, streaked down from everywhere in the night sky, seeming to set the whole of the atmosphere ablaze. The burning form of the swordswoman plummeted down alongside the other meteors, to the sound of her laughter.

Link raised the Sword of Souls high above his head and yelled, "Moon's Wrath!" The light of the gem brightened, and the hailstorm of meteors was met by an equally massive lightning storm, the multitudinous bolts streaking between the sky and ground all around him. Electric bolt met ball of fire everywhere, causing a massive battlefield-wide fireworks display. The woman hit the ground, embedding both swords in it, the lightning bolts that struck her stopping short at the flames around her. The earth bucked violently across the whole of the terrain, cracks spreading out from her swords and widening, changing the landscape immensely by adding new gorges. In some places the land fell along the cracks and in others it rose, forming new mountains and valleys. Only through sheer luck was Link able to survive, repeatedly using the flashbolt step to move from piece to piece, eventually miraculously remaining on one of the few relatively steady pieces of ground. Then fire shot forth along the cracks, heating the landscape like an oven.

Link lashed out against the nearest flame with the Master Sword, and it began to shine with a golden light. His mind flashed back to the Wizrobe encounter, and he held both swords out straight, initiating a spin. The multicolored lightning of Aurora's blade and the golden tinged trail of the Master Sword blurred together as he began to spin faster and faster. His whirling kept the flames around him at bay. Then he released the power, and a gold-and-lightning circle spread out from him in all directions, conforming it's elevation to match the landscape. When it reached the woman, who stood atop a peak, she struck out with both of her blades, blocking against the attack, which knocked her backwards off of the peak. She back flipped and landed on her feet. She laughed, and an instant later the flames died out and she stood directly in front of the young fighter.

The blades faded and vanished from her hands, and he, following suit, sheathed his own. They matched each other's battle-crazed wild grins.

"Well fought!" she lauded him. "That's what you've got! You've a fiery spirit, you do! I like you! You're full of power! You've just shown but a fraction of your potential to me, kid!" She leaned forward. "And never let anyone tell you that it isn't your own power. Power comes in different kinds. You've got the power of camaraderie; the power of a strong spirit; the power of well-toned muscles; the power of swift reflexes and excellent skills. And the stuff that you did with the Sword of Souls and the Master Sword – no matter how strong the blade, the power of its attacks is limited by your own power. You're no ordinary person!"

"Thanks for the great battle, and for the compliment!" he beamed, his self-confidence restored.

"Look at the landscape," she said, gesturing to the wrecked place. "Isn't it gorgeous? A work of art! Regardless of the specifics, all things with form are art, from the land to the statue. Impressive stuff; things with form have power and potency."

Link found himself nodding in agreement, thinking of Death Mountain, the Palace, and the windmill, as well as the statues of the Hall of Memories and the artwork that had been in the tomb under Lon Lon. Beautiful in many different ways, relating to their unique forms.

"So, you gonna go out there and let the villains have a taste of your power?" the woman asked him enthusiastically.

"You bet!" he responded in kind.

"Then you've got my blessing!" she exclaimed, touching the back of Link's right hand. With a flash of light and a lurch, Link left the place behind.

*  
Location: Sheikah Caverns  
Time: During the Trial of Truth

He blinked again, slightly disoriented by the shift in scenery. Standing atop the mirror, he noticed that he was clutching the Sword of Souls.

_So that was why I could feel the connection and hear Aurora,_ he said to himself. _Hey, Aurora, did you put yourself in my hand?_

_ Yes,_ she responded, _and it turned out quite well, didn't it? But I'll behave now. I have a feeling the arbiter of the next trial won't take as well to me coming along for the ride as the last one._

Link set the sword aside, and Aurora's transparent form appeared beside it, the light vanishing from the gem. Turning his attention back to the golden statues, he pushed his questions to the back of his mind to prepare for the next, and presumably last, part of the trial. The second statue had already picked up its basin, and now the third placed its burden on the mirror. As before, the image reflected in the mirror was not the Caverns, but the still surface of a vast lake. His own image appeared, and with the familiar lurch, he left the Caverns yet again.

*  
Location: Unknown  
Time: During the Trial of Truth

Link fell into the water with a splash. Shocked by the sudden immersion in the cool liquid, he held still for a split second and began to sink. Thrashing, he pushed himself back up to the surface. He wasn't exactly a very good swimmer, since he had never had the opportunity to practice, and so it was with some concern that he realized that there was no land anywhere in sight.

He bobbed up and down in the water for what seemed like ages, the strength of his arms and legs gradually waning. When it seemed that he would succumb to the waters at last, he spotted a young girl, perhaps eight years old, walking across the water toward him. Like the other two before her, she was impossible for his mind to pin down, adjectives and descriptions no longer applying the moment he thought of them. By the time she reached him, he had begun to fall beneath the water, an arm upraised in an attempt to have the girl rescue him.

He felt small hands wrap around his wrist and pull. The girl walked backwards, hauling him up onto the surface of the water as though it were solid ground. He gasped and sputtered for a moment, regaining his breath. When he had recovered, he noticed that she had sat down, and so he sat down facing her. The water that he had disturbed returned to its still, calm state.

The two of them sat in silence. Somehow, Link felt it would not be prudent to be the first one to speak. After what seemed like a very long time, however, he realized that he had not thanked her for saving his life.

"Thank you," he said gratefully. The girl continued to look at him, and he saw experience and a kind sternness in her countenance. It was, he realized, an appearance that he had come to associate with people who were supposed to be wise. It looked rather odd on the face of a girl so young. But, now that he thought about it, she didn't look quite as young as she had before; she had aged. Now she appeared perhaps thirteen.

"You are welcome," she said calmly, then fell silent again.

"It is quite serene, here, isn't it, Miss?" he asked.

"Indeed. It is called the Lake of Ordered Wisdom. It remains always perfect and pristine. The creatures and plants that dwell within it work in perfection, eating never too much or too little, multiplying not too many or too few, living when it is their time to live, and dying when it is their time to die. There are no territorial disputes, no wars, no disturbing of the calm surface. The natural cycle of birth and death is uninterrupted by the whims of the individual."

Link resisted the impulse to scratch his head. "But Miss," he said, noting that the girl was now his age, "the lake isn't following all natural order. We're sitting on it."

The girl raised her eyebrows. "Why is that a contradiction of order? Perhaps it is merely a different order than that to which you are accustomed."

The youth was unsure of how to respond to that. "I…guess so," he replied uncertainly. "But how am I supposed to tell the difference?"

"Observation and reasoning combined with the comparison of experiences. Is that not the best way to make any judgment?"

"But, well, I don't have any applicable prior experiences to compare this to."

The now-21 woman looked at him disappointedly. "Then what options do you have?" she asked.

He considered the question. "Well…I could ask someone who does, which in this case would be you." He paused. "However, I have to know whether that person is trustworthy or not, don't I? You could just lie to me."

She nodded. "That is true. You must be discerning in where you place your trust."

"Is this a criticism for being naïve?" he asked her directly.

A small smile appeared on her face, which showed that she was now in her early thirties. "I believe you know the answer to that."

"I'd rather trust someone and be hurt by it than hurt someone by not trusting them," he defended himself.

"A kind sentiment, but one you may later regret," she responded. "Do not equate foolishness with goodness."

"Ma'am, I know that I should evaluate my decisions before making them. I may have trouble remembering to do that, but I'm better at it than Aurora," he said with a grin.

The forty-year-old woman shook her head. "Wisdom is not about having knowledge, although knowledge does indeed help the wise. Knowing a fact is not the same as living it. You are the Hero upon which the peoples of Hyrule depend. You cannot afford to sacrifice those whom you protect due to mistakes made rashly because you did not consider the situation."

"I…I'm only seventeen," he protested. "I may be smart, but I don't have the experience to be considered wise."

"Yet, you answered the people of Kakariko with a well-thought-out and rational decision, and you did it on short notice. Your intelligence cannot substitute for a lack of knowledge, but it can help you make deductions and discern what knowledge you need and how to obtain it. It is well within your capabilities to exercise wisdom."

"So, I'm too naïve and too impulsive," Link summed up. "That seems to be what we've got so far."

The fifty-year-old woman frowned. "You have learned much from Aurora, but she has taught you some things that are better unlearned. This is a serious matter, Link. You cannot simply list your flaws and be done with it. Acknowledging your problems is only the first step toward a solution.

Link sighed in exasperation. "But what am I supposed to do? It's just the way I am! All this talk of order has set me on edge. I don't particularly like being bound by all the restrictions that come with the bastions of order in the world. I don't like politics, or having to have special manners for certain situations and different ones for others. I just want to be free from all of that!"

"Really?" she asked, adding more wrinkles to her sixty-year-old face as she raised her eyebrows. "You want to be free from order?" She waved her hand, and Link fell back into the water again with a splash and had to tread water to keep his head above the surface.

"Of course, with no land anywhere around here," she said calmly, "you'll drown eventually. But I suppose that's to be expected. Allowing your emotions and desires, your whims and fancies, to drive your decisions will only cause you to suffocate in the terrible results that follow. Showing only foolishness instead of wisdom by trusting anyone and everyone you want to believe is trustworthy will end with a knife across your throat or a sword through your heart. And though you have not spoken of this aloud, you also suffer from distrusting those whom you dislike strongly, which can be just as bad. For example, Eli Elswood." She watched sadly as Link began to sink again as he ran out of energy.

"I had high hopes for you, Link of Ordon," she said. "But it seems as though you do not have what is necessary to pass this trial." She stood, an elderly lady.

Link felt a pang of fear. "Nayru!" he cried through a mouthful of water. "Please, don't abandon me to die!"

"You knew you faced the goddess Nayru?" she asked, looking in his eyes, though she had of course known the answer.

"Yes! I … _glub glub…_ please!"

"Why should I help you?" she asked, no malice in her voice.

"Because…I need…you!" he managed just as he was about to go under.

Catching his hand, she yanked him up and onto the surface, where he fell coughing. She watched him. She was extremely old now.

"You need me?" she said. "You need me, yet you would reject what I stand for? Would you be like those who would cause war and chaos, bringing about the destruction of Hyrule, yet claim to be the Hero sent to stop them? Would you call upon my name while ignoring my command?" She knelt beside him, her ancient face looking at him with concern and care. "I know you do not wish for that," she said softly, her voice cracking. "But if you truly are the Hero, you must learn not only to conquer your foes, but also to conquer yourself.

I am not telling you that you cannot be guided by your heart, Link. I am telling you to remember to always use your mind. Is what you intend to do the best course of action? Is trusting or distrusting warranted? Judge with an active mind, Link. Your heart has its place, but so does your mind. Without this order, there will be deadly chaos." She looked so feeble and frail that it would not surprise Link if she turned to dust and floated away.

"Conquer…myself…" he said slowly. "Nayru, I…unlike with the other trials, this I do not find easy to manage on my own. But I concede; you are right while I was wrong. I will try to grow into what you have said. I will try to be more discerning, more careful in my decisions. May I ask one boon of you? I wish that you would send me companions who could help me when I fail. Aurora is more impulsive than I. Avery I confess I do not know well enough, and Alexis is too unsure of herself. For now I have Hawke, but he will not always be with me."

Nayru nodded. "I will grant this boon, Hero. You have shown wisdom in asking for help, knowing that despite your efforts you will sometimes fail." She touched his forehead. "You have my blessing."

And Link, close to tears, was yanked back to the Caverns once again.

*  
Location: Sheikah Caverns  
Time: Right after the Trial of Truth

Link stared forward as the last of the goddess statues lifted its basin and returned to its original position. There was a flash of light, and each of the basins began to shed light corresponding to the color of the object within. Depaz looked mildly surprised.

"Does this mean he passed the test?" Aurora asked.

"Yes," Depaz said. "It does."

**END CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

**COMING NEXT IN CHAPTER NINETEEN: MOUNTAIN OF FIRE**

Meet the Sheikah. Or rather, meet the miniature army of Acolytes accompanying Link and company up death mountain, where they face perils- rockslides, monsters, and volcanic eruptions. Two figures are spotted in the distance- one ominous, and one mysterious.


	20. Mountain of Fire

**Notes:** Eheheheheh…Um…forgiveness because I'm posting these three which I should have posted forever ago in rapid succession?

**Original Notes**: I would like to point out that I use the original Gerudo crescent and star. Stupid PC censorship. Anyhow – I want to talk to you guys. Lessee… okay. So, I'm really, really happy that so many people are favoriting my story. It is a bit of a head-scratcher for me, though – most of the people who favorite my story have never reviewed it even once. Maybe I'm just weird, but I tend to post reviews on _more_ stories than I favorite, not _fewer_. That is, I post reviews on many stories. Only some of those will I favorite. Thus, all stories that I favorite, I will have reviewed. I guess some people aren't like that, though. So, I'd like to make a request – if you have or will favorite my story, it would be great if you could drop me a review telling me what you like about it. (Also, I would like to thank iwish for continually reviewing my story – it means a lot to me.)

So, without further ado, let's get on with it.

**Previous Chapter Summary**: Stuff Happened. … I'm kinda getting tired of writing these summaries. But anyway… Link goes to the Sheikah caverns and meets with one of the leaders of the Shadow Folk named Depaz, a dangerous woman. He finds that in order to obtain true help from the Sheikah, he must pass a test called the Trial of Truth. In this trial, he is tested by the three goddesses. Farore teaches him about life; Din about power; and Nayru about using his head instead of just his heart.

**CHAPTER NINETEEN: Mountain of Fire**

Location: Sherikah, Plateau Caverns  
Time: Midday of the ninetieth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

The grey-haired Sheikah man with red-orange eyes sat on the cool stone platform bearing the triangle surrounded by three circles, the symbol of shadow. It was one of the two Shadow Platforms in Hyrule. Originally, there had only been one, located in Kakariko, but during one of the previous Heroic Ages (as the times where a Hero arose to defeat the evil threat to Hyrule were rather appropriately named) the seal had been altered, split geographically to two locations. This was the second half of the seal, and it formed the base of the Sheikah society underground beneath Sherikah, the only above-ground living space for Sheikah in Hyrule.

The man sat on the platform, staring forward as if off into space. Around him were seven man-sized torches each with runes written down the sides and bearing a differently colored flame. One flame was a golden yellow, and that torch had a symbol near the top that resembled a sword and pick. The next was a magma red, and the symbol its torch bore was that of the rhombus-like quadrangle with three triangles above it, one pointing to the upper left, one to the upper right, and the other straight up. A torch with a symbol that resembled three crescents jammed together was lit with a watery blue flame. Fourth, the crying eye marked torch had a deep purple flame. Next, bearing a curvy symbol, was the forest green flame. An orange flame was atop a torch with a crescent and star. Finally, a violet flame rose from a torch with the phoenix and Triforce. The green and yellow flames were much lower than most of the rest of them, followed by the blue flame. The deep purple and orange flames burned highest. The red flame was the weakest, flickering as though it were about to sputter out. The violet flame, however, was by far the most interesting; it flared up and shrank down to almost nothing randomly.

The Sheikah was entirely silent, lost in his meditative art. He was Taes, the other leader of the Sheikah. Both he and Depaz were Shadow Masters, the most experienced, powerful, and skilled members of the Shadow Order. All members of the Order learned to control the Sage powers left behind by Impa, but some people were much better at it than others. But mastery of the Shadow powers was not the only ruler by which the members of the Shadow Order, known as Acolytes, were measured. Knowledge of history and legend also played a major role, as did physical skills such as fighting and stealth. Respect and understanding of tradition was absolutely essential if an Acolyte wished to progress in the Order. The specifics of the Order were kept secret from outsiders, but these things those who were close to the Sheikah knew. Not all Sheikah were members of the Shadow Order, and so even some Sheikah did not know the details.

_"Taes, do you hear me?"_

Taes didn't modify his unblinking expression at the semi-mental, semi-audible voice of Depaz.

"I am here, Depaz. Has the Hero passed the Trial of Truth?" he asked calmly, his own voice completely void of the lethal edge that was so obvious in his counterpart's.

_"Yes. He's currently resting. He has not said anything about the trial, but it is obvious that it took up most of his mental and physical energy. It is possible that he faced death. I believe he will fall asleep soon."_

"What favor has he asked of the Sheikah, now that he has passed the trial?"

_"That we send what fighters we can spare of those remaining us to assist the Gorons in fighting back the encroaching enemies; that we supply him and his retinue with food and tools for the climb; and that we accompany his group until they reach Goron City. He handed me some documents signed by the King and Princess meant for the two of us. They ask for the same things. They also carry information about the Hero and a request for disclosure about historical facts relating to the Heroic Ages and also the shades."_

"The torches are not particularly encouraging as of late," Taes said. "I agree we should provide them with all that they ask for. How was the Sword of Souls?"

There was obvious irritation in Depaz's voice. _"It, or she, is both confrontational and disrespectful, but steadfastly loyal to the Hero. She called me a … never mind, it isn't important. The Hero is able to keep her in line so long as he realizes it is necessary."_

"I see. As far as sending fighters is concerned – how many Acolytes do you think you'll need from my end?"

_"It depends much on whom you send. Dulle and Sazra would both be highly beneficial. If you include them, I'd say a dozen Acolytes would be good."_

"Hm. Is Kiara back?"

_"Yes, she's the one who escorted the Hero's group to Kakariko. She hasn't improved that much since you last saw her."_

"Well, her brother has. He's far and away the most adept of the lower Acolytes at using the Sage powers. I'll send him as well."

_"Thank you. I'll contact you again later if I need you."_

"Of course."

*  
Location: Hyrule Palace, Zelda's Bedchamber  
Time: Evening of the ninetieth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

Zelda sat down on her bed and exhaled harshly in frustration. She covered her face with her hands. She wanted to scream. While her management of the Knights and Guards was going well, the same could not be said of the nobles. The lesser nobles weren't causing too much trouble, she supposed, but the Twelve Houses were being nothing but irritating.

"Anything I can do, Milady?" Sharla asked softly from the corner of the room. Recently, they had decided that one Sheikan bodyguard should be with the Princess at all times, and Sharla was a friend, so she was most often the one with Zelda in private.

"Not unless you can mind control the nobles into ceasing being such stubborn Bulbins," Zelda sighed, letting her hands fall to her sides. "Honestly! They're worse than the goblins are!"

Sharla viewed her liege with understanding in her hazel eyes. "It often does good just to express your feelings and opinions aloud to someone," she advised. "As Princess, you keep your personal views bottled up inside in the interest of diplomacy. Why don't you talk to me? I won't judge you or let any secrets out."

Zelda moved her legs up onto her bed and turned, allowing herself to flop backwards onto her pillows, her hair splaying outward.

"Where do I start?" she said. "The Twelve Houses just make me want to strangle their Heads. Curlain, Emit, Yael, Damien, Laxus, Mannel, Snowe, Armstrong, Elswood, Bryant, Kellay, and Orston. Out of the Twelve, I have only _three_ supporters for the organization, collaboration, and supervision of the noble class in preparation for emergency. Thomas Damien, the youngest to ever be Head of one of the Twelve; Gerard Laxus, who has always been a reasonable man even if we disagreed; and Ernest Emit, who I think is just trying to avoid the stigma of his predecessor. All of the rest of them are being completely boneheaded about the situation."

She held up a hand and lifted a finger. "Xavier Curlain. He is holding to the position that I am being pretentious and unnecessarily overbearing. He thinks that I'm treating the nobles as children to be forced to play nice together and be babysat. He is older and more set in his ways, so my actions, which are unprecedented during his lifetime, are seen as those of an upstart."

She flicked a second finger up. "Heraes Mannel. An elderly and loyal man, to be sure, but he thinks that I'm overreacting. He refuses to see that disaster is on the horizon. And those who are old often don't like to change their ways; he is used to the independence that the nobles have and thinks my suggestion is quite scandalous. Still, despite his patent foolishness, he has much in the way of knowledge and experience. I _need_ him on my side if I am to get anywhere."

A third finger went up. "William Snowe. He is around my age and extremely impetuous. It is obvious that he dislikes me strongly. He wants to sit around and enjoy himself with no responsibilities, taking full advantage of his position without ever doing his job. It is no surprise that he is opposed to anything that might intrude on his lazy indulgence. He's being very loud-mouthed about how pushy I am."

Her pinky followed suit. "Pierce Yael." She ground her teeth. "The man is a treasonous, traitorous _hound_, but he never does anything openly so I can't prove it. In some ways, he's worse than Raistler ever was, because Yael is actually smart enough to weasel his way out of things. Raistler may have had many skilled people working for him, but intelligence says that those people went to Yael, who can manage them better. From little ways to big ways, from open resistance to subtlety, Yael is doing his damnedest to undermine my efforts."

She lifted her thumb and raised one finger on her other hand. "Sean Armstrong and Urstein Elswood are being more passive about things, and I suspect I can sway them to my side if I keep at them long enough, but with people like Yael trying to keep me from going anywhere it won't be easy. I've enlisted Minerva to help convince Sean, since they belong to the same House, but I'm hesitant to try to get Eli's help on Urstein; the brothers aren't exactly on the best of terms and it might do more harm than good."

She raised another finger. "Frederick Bryant. He's generally a supporter of mine and a responsible man, but he's under a lot of pressure from the rest of his House, which is in disagreement with me. He's legitimately worried that if he goes along with me on this that he might have a riot inside his own extended family. I'll be honest, I can't really fault him for his position."

She followed it with another finger. "Kelly Kellay. The _only_ female Head. Her House has always been one for going against the primary tradition. Unfortunately, it's because of that that she refuses to side with me; she thinks that it will pressure her House to conform to the others in order to "cooperate properly." Of course, that's nonsense, but she refuses to believe otherwise."

Zelda lifted up a ninth digit. "Richard Orston. I don't trust him any more than I trust Yael. He tends to play both sides in any conflict to maximize benefits for himself. He's a manipulative bastard. As far as I _know_, he's never done anything illegal; his record, official and otherwise, is pretty clean. He's just sneaky about twisting others around to get what he wants, often without them noticing he's doing it. He's an opportunist. In fact, if he starts agreeing with me, I'll be more concerned than I would if he kept disagreeing."

Zelda dropped her hands. "It's a tremendous headache," she complained. "I hate dealing with all the different selfish agendas of the nobles."

"Well…" Sharla began, "there _are_ ways to influence the opinions of the nobles other than through argumentation. You _could_ stage an attack on some of the nobles who think that it's unnecessary. Send a few Acolytes to make it look like there was an attack and have them pull back after causing some chaos."

Zelda sat up and shook her head. "I'd already thought of that. I don't think it's a good idea. If something goes wrong and the Sheikah are discovered, everything will go to hell. Even if nothing goes wrong, it might provoke the wrong response. No, it's safer not to do that. I need to find the proper incentives. I have three of the Twelve on my side. In order for this to work, I need at least nine of them. Yael, Snowe, and Orston are almost certainly the three I won't get. I can probably get Armstrong and Elswood eventually. That's five. Mannel is a must, but I need to figure out how to convince him the threat is credible. Kellay needs some kind of proof that her House won't be meddled with. Curlain, I think, needs his ego stroked. I don't want to have to make myself into a fool to let him feel that I acknowledge him, but I may have to. And I need to _somehow_ figure out how to prevent a conflict in Bryant's House. If I can do that, he'll side with me immediately."

"I'm not sure you really need my advice, Milady," Sharla responded. "You're a brilliant woman, and very wise for your age. I trust that you will figure it out in the end."

"I certainly hope so," Zelda answered, falling back onto her bed. "Or there will be hell to pay."

*  
Location: Death Mountain, Goron City  
Time: Late Evening of the ninetieth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

The Goron shook his head and rumbled sadly, "Three of our Brothers gave their lives today, Big Brother, and many more may never race again. It is a sad day today. When will the ones Brother King Armin sent get here?"

Kodroga frowned. "I do not know, Brother. It will be soon. Perhaps even tomorrow. We must protect our city until then."

The small group of Gorons who stood near the only entrance still open to Goron City rumbled in agreement. Every day more Brothers had died defending the entrance to the city from Tektites, Lizalfos, and Dodongos. The Magtails and Toadpoli didn't cause them problems at the moment since they couldn't get in the other entrances. If they hadn't closed off all the other exits from the city as the mysterious stranger had said, they wouldn't have been able to hold off all the assaults and might have gone under already.

The sound of a Goron rolling up the slope toward them from further inside the city caused them to turn. The light brown ball sped its way up and uncurled into an adult Goron who stood slightly over seven and three quarters feet tall. He had a dragon tattoo on the back of his right arm, stylized to represent the legendary patron spirit of the Gorons, a dragon known as Valoo. Valoo, though no living Goron could be said to have seen it, was always depicted as a large red dragon with four massive wings, a long barbed tail, four powerful legs, and a sharp tooth-filled fire-breathing maw. It was much more exciting than the other dragon of legend, the terrible Volvagia, which had been an oversized flying snake with legs.

The Goron addressed Kodroga. "Big Brother, there has been a breach in the passage closest to the Temple!" he said urgently. "Magtails and Dodongos are swarming in! Some of our Brothers are defending it, but we need you to come help so we can close it back up! Godoro is with the Brothers fighting!"

Big Brother's eyes widened in alarm. "Godoro? Why is he there?" He shook his head. "No, do not answer. We must make haste! Come, Brothers!" The group curled up unto balls and took off at top speed. They barreled down the slopes and headed for the Temple passage.

*  
Godoro smashed his right fist into the eye of the giant red and black centipede in front of him, causing it to recoil and curl into a vulnerable ball. To his left he saw another one preparing to lunge and gave it the same treatment with his other fist. An eight-foot-long fire-breathing, green-scaled, iguana-like lizard crawled up in front of him between the two balled-up Magtails and began to inhale. Godoro closed his eyes and set himself against the blast of flame that the Dodongo belched out onto him. He felt the intense heat, but because he was a Goron, he was unharmed. He jumped forward and landed clumsily on top of it with a crash, his hands near to its red tail, the one spot on a Dodongo that was vulnerable to attack. He brought his fists together on either side of it with a crash, causing the beast to trumpet breathily in pain as its tail was nearly flattened between his hands.

It writhed and threw him off. He curled into a defensive position and took another blast of flame. As soon as he stood to attack again, he saw that there were still more Dodongos and Magtails coming from down the tunnel. In fact, two more Magtails had reached him already. He couldn't call on his Brothers for help, since each of the Gorons who had been nearby when the beasts broke through the stone rubble barrier was separated from the others by monsters. It was almost as though each Goron were a rock in a stream of centipedes and lizards.

He ignored the Dodongo for the moment and blocked against the twin Magtail strikes by bashing the pincers in the side with his fists. They shook themselves and pulled back, opening up to lunge again. He moved left, dealing that one a swift left uppercut to the eye, then brought his arm up to block the other, receiving a small gash in it for his trouble. He closed his eyes to avoid the flames from another fire blast and delivered a right straight, hoping to get lucky and hit the Magtail in its eye. And lucky he was, as he felt the squishy feeling and heard it give its bug screech as it curled up.

Opening his eyes again, he jumped atop the Dodongo a second time, being far too slow to run around it to reach its tail. Like last time, he smashed its tail, only this time the tail burst open in a shower of blood and the Dodongo bucked, throwing him off. He rolled back further up the tunnel away from it as it began to pulse. With a _boom!_, the lizard exploded like a bomb, sending various body parts everywhere. All four Magtails he had injured around it were caught in, and destroyed by, the explosion. Unfortunately, the blast did nothing to deter the creatures coming from behind, and a row of three Dodongos came lumbering toward him.

Curling up into a ball, he barreled down toward them and swerved around them, rolling across their tails. They bellowed in unison and spun around to face him, but he had continued going, swerving again to cut around behind them a second time. He repeated this twice more before their tails broke and he had to retreat again. This time a half-dozen Magtails that were crawling up got caught and died.

Godoro was heavily bruised and scratched in no small number of places, but he was relatively unhurt. He spared a glance to see how his six Brothers were faring. On the whole, they seemed to be doing about the same as him, though one was completely uninjured and another had a large gash down his side. Godoro's head pounded from the blood rushing to it. This was his first ever real battle. He, like all Gorons, had trained in the form of sport, but actual fighting was never really the same thing.

"Brothers!" he called. "Keep fighting! These enemies, they cannot make us to budge one inch! We must keep fighting until Akagor brings back Big Brother and the others! For our Brothers!" he gave the rallying cry.

"For our Brothers!" the others responded, and all seven threw themselves back into the melee with new fervor. Nothing could defeat them. No brutish, stupid monsters would ever take Goron City. The Goron Brotherhood would never fall!

Twenty minutes of unending battle later, they finally heard the rumble of Big Brother's unit of defenders rolling down toward them. The newly arrived Gorons took to the battlefield and began to push the river of fiends back. Big Brother Kodroga waited until they had passed a specific point and then hit several precisely calculated points along the wall.

"Pull back, Brothers! It is done!"

They swiftly spun their way back to where he stood, and the walls rumbled loudly before crashing down and filling in the tunnel. There was a single, unified sigh of relief. They were safe again – for now.

The most severely wounded of the Gorons were assisted off to a place where they could recover with the help of medicines; an infirmary in all but name. Kodroga looked his son up and down, taking in the multitude of scratches and small cuts on top of the bruises that covered the youth. He had handled himself very well to be hurt only as badly as he was. Gorons were built very differently than Hylians, humans, or Sheikah, however; the amount of damage that Godoro had sustained was painful yet far from life-threatening, but if one of the fleshier races had taken that many hits they would be well past dead.

"Well done, Godoro!" the Big Brother of the Gorons applauded the younger member of his race. "You fought a good fight and defended the city from harm." He clapped his son on the back. "All that boxing with Akagor made you strong, did it not, Brother!"

Godoro beamed with pleasure. He had shown those monsters that they could not mess with the Gorons! That Big Brother was proud of him was only gemstones in the ore. He had felt very alive in a way he never had before when he was fighting those monsters. Even more alive than when he was boxing or racing.

"I am glad to have fought those monsters, Big Brother!" he said excitedly. "I want to fight them all away! We cannot just stay and wait for help; we need to attack the monsters ourselves!"

Kodroga shook his head. "Little Brother, you must remember the words that I have said – we must not seek danger. My Sworn Brother the King will not fail us. We wait."

Godoro's face fell, but he did not argue. There was no point. He would just have to take things into his own hands without saying a single word.

*  
Location: Kakariko  
Time: Night of the ninetieth day of Summer (KAHII 35)

Link lay on his side in his bed, thinking. He had only awoken about an hour ago and returned to the surface. His requests had been granted. According to Depaz, they were leaving tomorrow morning and would be accompanied by a score and a half Sheikah. Thirty Sheikah, especially since at least two thirds of them were "Acolytes," which Link was given to understand were those who used the powers of the Sage of Shadow (he wasn't sure he really understood all that), was the equivalent of a small army. They really were pulling out all the stops for him since he had passed the Trial of Truth. He strongly suspected that forcing him to take that test had been the result of some secret agenda of which he was unaware. After his conversation with Nayru, it had occurred to him that it would be a very good idea to be cautious about taking anything the Sheikah said or did at face value.

So tomorrow in the early morning he, Aurora, Alexis, Avery, Hawke and his Knights, and thirty Sheikah would begin the climb of Death Mountain. It was a very treacherous trek, especially during this troubled time. They would have to be careful of rockslides, monsters, and random eruptions. There was no way in which this could be considered easy. They would be very lucky indeed, Depaz had informed him, if they all made it to Goron City alive. That was not particularly confidence-inspiring or encouraging. It would be up to him to make sure as many people made it as possible, he decided. He didn't tell Aurora that, though, because she would think he was being dumb for placing the responsibility on himself.

Link sighed and closed his eyes. _I wish things didn't have to be so difficult,_ he thought. _If I could just be confronted with the source of everybody's problems and fight it, life would be so much easier._ He wrapped the sheets around his legs. _But I'm not going to give up even for an instant. I'm going to follow this thing through even if it takes 'till the end of my life. Farore, you are definitely my favorite goddess. I hope you're watching over me. And Din, I'm glad you think so highly of me. I'll be counting on the passionate joy of battle to carry me through my fights. Nayru…I'll try my best to make the right decisions._

As his breathing leveled off into the steady breath of sleepers, Aurora watched him from her seated position on the floor, leaning against the wall. She still didn't like the way Link looked when he slept. Whether he was troubled or peaceful, he was always helpless in sleep. Link had told her about the Trial of Truth and what it had entailed. Aurora had been aware of the part for which she had been sort-of-present, but the rest he had to fill her in on. Farore's trial was the one she found the strangest. It almost seemed like the goddess wasn't testing him at all, but rather simply trying to get him to reach an understanding so that he could be at peace with the killing that he would have to commit in the future. Din's trial was by far the most interesting to her, and she told Link so; all the moves that Din had used were abilities that Aurora would have if she had other gems – mostly the fire gem, but also the forest gem for the earthquake. She supposed it made sense; the Sword of Souls was a goddess-blessed sword after all. Additionally, in that trial Link had been able to easily and without exhaustion use her powers, even ones he hadn't used before. Aurora wasn't sure of the significance of this, but she suspected it had something to do with Din's comment about the fight showcasing a portion of Link's potential. Finally, Nayru's trial just ticked her off. She supposed she shouldn't get upset at a goddess, but…. In any case, Link had taken the goddess's words to heart, which she supposed was the point.

The talk of trusting others, however, did resonate with her. She thought that was one of Link's weaknesses – a willingness to trust without reason. For example, though she wouldn't tell Link; she was still not entirely trusting of Avery. Some of his stories (such as the encounter with Dark Link) seemed a little too…convenient. His hatred of the Moblins had been personal; much more than one would get just for having had a tough time fighting them before. There was some story he wasn't willing to tell. She could easily see that he was keeping secrets from them, though she couldn't guess at what those secrets were. However, he had never shown signs of wanting to do anything detrimental to Link or other important people and he had been willing to lay his life on the line for others, so she figured it was all right to treat him as a friend, at least for now. But that didn't mean she would lower her guard around him. Link would say she was being paranoid and probably get offended, but that was just how Link was.

She sighed. _Tomorrow's going to be a long day,_ she acknowledged. _I just know we're going to run into all kinds of problems. With thirty Sheikah, it'll be no surprise if something horrible happens to some of them; Link will blame himself if and when it does. He's very unreasonable like that. But it is comforting to know that we'll have our own little army for when we climb the mountain._ She closed her eyes. _I just hope nothing happens to Avery or Alexis, or Link will be beside himself. Heck, I'll be upset too._

She let her thoughts gradually fade as she, too, dropped off to sleep.

*  
Location: Death Mountain Exterior  
Time: Late Morning of the final (91) day of Summer (KAHII35)

Link wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his right hand, the bodily liquid splashing off onto the rocks as his glove removed it from his skin. The team had already been climbing the mountain for four hours; they had started not long after sunrise. He felt really sorry for the Sheikah and for Alexis, who wore those thick suits. He felt sorry for the Knights in their armor. Actually, he felt sorry for just about everyone – he, Avery, and obviously Aurora were the best off. The fact that it was the last day of summer didn't mean that it wasn't a true scorcher, and the mountain itself seemed to be radiating intense heat; even those who didn't normally had to wear gloves.

"You okay?" the friendly, relaxed voice of one of the younger Sheikah said from beside him. He turned his face sideways to look at the Sheikan youth as he continued to climb. Dressed in the traditional Sheikan garb (like all the Sheikah with him), a boy his or Avery's age looked at him in casual concern with crimson eyes. He wasn't wearing a head-wrap portion or any mask or scarf to cover his face, which gave Link a full view of his facial expression under his dirty-blond hair. Link fought unsuccessfully against his natural reaction – his instinctual decision that he liked this boy, whatever his eye color.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he responded, grinning despite the discomfort of the situation. The Sheikah returned his grin with a wide half-smile. Link hadn't even thought it was possible to have a wide smile that covered only half your face.

"Good to hear," the boy answered back. "Can't have our Hero bumming out on us, now can we?" he joked. "Name's Sheik, by the way. Traditional name, comes from the great Impa's first pupil's name."

"Link," the Ordon boy replied. "Apparently fate makes all the Heroes be named that. I'd shake your hand, but I'm kind of busy."

"Hey, what do you know, me too!" Sheik exclaimed. "Funny coincidence, that. Guess it'll have to wait till later. Say, what's the name of your companion?"

Aurora blinked in surprise.

"I had no idea you could see me," she said honestly. "You're really good at hiding it. I'm Aurora, the Sword of Souls. Powerful sword of legendary powers and so forth. Link's my wielder and such. Only people with exceptionally strong souls can perceive me when I'm like this, which makes you one of 'em." She nodded her head.

"Well, it's an honor, milady Aurora," Sheik replied graciously. "Were I able, I would kiss your hand. It truly is such a shame that I cannot, for a beauty such as yourself only comes along but rarely." He nodded his own head as well, his face all politeness.

"Well, aren't you a flatterer," Aurora said with a grin. "Bet it wins you points with the ladies."

"Well, when I speak the truth, and it matches what a pretty girl wishes to hear, I cannot be blamed if she is happy," Sheik said. Link laughed.

"So you're a ladies' man, huh? You should be interesting to get to know," Link informed him. "You should try out your charms on Alex, the girl wearing the black suit that looks kinda like a Sheikah suit. Her full name's Alexis, actually, but she's fine with Alex or Lexi."

"Oh, absolutely," Sheik agreed. "I can't let a pretty young girl go without a compliment. I'll wait till we reach Twin Spires and regroup, though, I don't want to lose my footing trying to clamber around on the side of the mountain."

"Sheik, you blockhead!" a female voice called from further down the mountain. "Can't you keep your mouth shut for once? Think of the embarrassment you're putting Kiara through."

"That's Gina. She's a friend of mine our age," Sheik informed Link. "And Kiara is my sister. Kiara disguises herself when she goes on missions. It's a different disguise each time. Sometimes she even disguises herself as a different Sheikah. Just recently, she pretended to be a guy. You know her – she's the one who escorted you here from Castle City."

"That was a _woman?_" Aurora exclaimed. She shook her head. "Well, she's good at disguise, I guess. Although that constant two-word whisper thing was very annoying," she added with a scowl.

"What's Gina talking about?" Link queried. "Why would you talking be an embarrassment?"

"Oh, that's because Sheikah are supposed to be all quiet and mission-oriented and stuff like that," Sheik answered dismissively. "But I've never really held to that much. I can keep my mouth shut on the topics that it needs to be. Why lose the art of conversation?"

*  
It was just after one in the afternoon when they reached the Twin Spires, a large rock formation jutting out of the mountain. The mountain path was finally visible again – they had been crawling on the surface for much of the climb because the volcanic activity and rockslides combined had obliterated much of the previous path. Here, though, the smooth path was once again present – and it was from this point onward that they would need to be careful of eruptions and monsters. Once all of the party had reached the regrouping point and a headcount had been made to make sure everyone was present, they stopped for a brief but necessary lunch.

Link sat with Avery, Alexis, Sheik, and Gina. The female Sheikah was a redhead with fiery red eyes who also left her head and face completely uncovered.

"Oh beauteous one," Sheik began, taking hold of Alexis's hand, much to her surprise. "It has been long since I have seen such a raven-haired beauty. Such fair skin and dark hair make an irresistible combination. And your rich green eyes could capture any lost soul in their depths." He raised her hand up to his lips. "Might I have the pleasure of your name?"

When he let go of her hand, she stared at it, then back up at him. She was speechless for several seconds. :Link hid his grin by feeding his face, and Avery smirked. Gina, however, smacked him in the back of the head.

"You blockhead! What if she actually takes you seriously? You want to be held responsible for that?"

Sheik adopted a hurt expression, rubbing where his friend had hit him. "You wound me, oh flame-haired beauty. I spoke no lies. Is it my fault that I'm just that charming?"

At this, Aurora could help herself no longer and roared with laughter. Sheik turned to her, his big half-smile on his face. "Yes, quite. It's truly humorous that anyone would blame me," he said. Gina frowned at him.

"I hope you're talking to the sword, not to thin air," she said. She couldn't see or hear Aurora, but the Sheikah had been told about the Sword of Souls.

"Most assuredly, fire-eyed gorgeous one," Sheik answered, earning himself another smack, which he took graciously across the face, not even attempting to dodge.

"Um…hello to you, too, I guess?" Alex said. He grinned at her. She grinned back. "And Mr. Charming, don't you know it's rude to ask for someone else's name before giving your own?" This time, Gina laughed. Sheik looked horrified at himself.

"My sincerest apologies," he said. "My moniker is Sheik, after the first disciple of Impa, the Sage of Shadow." He winked at her. "Can you tell me your name now?"

She laughed. Link had heard her laugh a few times before, but it never ceased to amaze him. He thought that his sister's laugh was beautiful, and that Aurora's uproarious laugh had a pretty quality to it as well; but Alex's laugh was different. It was less bell-like than Alice's and less hearty than Aurora's. It was like a giggle, but richer, fuller. It didn't give the impression of airheaded-ness that the giggles of other girls he had heard, but it did seem more childlike than the laughs of the other two. It made him think about how horrible it must have been for a ten-year-old girl to be ripped from her happy family by murder and then soaked in the blood of others as she was trained as an assassin. She had so many years of her life that she had missed, and it was time for her to catch up on them. Her laugh brought a genuine smile to his face. He loved her laugh.

"I'm Alexis, or Alex, or Lexi. Call me whichever one you want," she told the Sheikah with a smile.

"Then I shall call you my Lady Alexis," he proclaimed, picking up his sandwich and taking a bite. "Mm, this stuff is good."

"Unbelievable," Avery remarked, biting into his apple. "I thought I had the Sheikah figured out, but you are so different that I don't know what to make of you." He raised a hand. "Avery, by the way," he told the two Sheikah in his characteristic accent.

"And of course, I'm Link," the green-clad boy noted, continuing to munch on his sandwich.

"Gina," the red-haired girl supplied. "This idiot's friend," she added, pointing at Sheik with her thumb.

The small group continued to chat while they consumed their meals. In the course of the conversation, the Sheikah learned Avery's mercenary occupation and foreign origin, Alexis's history and former occupation (this subject was brought up because of her garb, which except for design and color was pretty much the same as the Sheikah's, right down to not having any head or face coverings, as she had not replaced the veil), Aurora's personality, and Link's background. The companions, on the other hand, learned that Sheik was an important person who had some Sage powers and that Gina was a less important person who also had some Sage powers. The two refused to elaborate on this, saying that it was Sheikah business and therefore secret. Link could be told, as he had passed the Trial of Truth, but since others were present they weren't allowed to tell.

Sheik was an interesting individual. He was well educated and very articulate. Unlike many Sheikah, he was quite the conversationalist, and he had a light-hearted sense of humor. From what Link could gather, he was not so much a ladies' man as a wannabe ladies' man; he was a flatterer and could be very suave when he wanted to, but that didn't mean he had women swooning over him. He was, like Avery, eighteen years old, but he claimed (and Gina didn't argue) that he was more skilled than many of his elders. He used a combination of Sage powers (a type of magic based around shadows), hand-to-hand combat, knives, daggers, throwing stars, and various other weapons. His weapons, he said, were hidden within his uniform or within his shadow itself.

Gina, also an eighteen-year-old, had similar training to her friend. She often hit him for being stupid or ridiculous. She was also well educated, which seemed to be common for Sheikah, and she pretended to be more traditional than Sheik. In reality, she was very similar in her love of conversation and humor. Link got the distinct impression that the two were not only friends, but _best_ friends. He liked her as well, almost as much as he liked Sheik.

Finally, the miniature army got up and started again. The one leading them, a Sheikah man called Dulle, warned them to be on the lookout for any signs of monsters and to be wary of any earthquakes, since they heralded eruptions and could set off rockslides. The small company that had eaten lunch together traveled as a unit, sticking close as the entire group moved up the sloped path.

A strange-sounding cry brought the attention of the people to a crag jutting out several hundred feet ahead about thirty minutes later. Atop the rock, an unarmored Lizalfos had raised its sword and sounded an alert in its language. It went down with an arrow through its throat, courtesy of the excellent archer Aaron, a few seconds later, but by then it was too late. The mountain appeared to come alive with creatures that seemed to come from nowhere, popping up from cracks and unseen ledges.

Twenty some Lizalfos wearing varying amounts of armor and carrying either swords or axes made up the intelligent portion of the enemy troops. At least two-score red Tektites, which looked like man-sized hexagonal armored jumping spiders with only four legs and a single giant eye, hopped into view. The ground beneath everyone began to shake and they heard an ominous rumble.

Drawing his swords, Link remarked, "This won't be pretty."

"Well," Sheik replied, reaching down toward his shadow and lifting out a spiked chain some eight feet long, "that depends on whether you think blood is pretty."

"Since when do bugs have pretty blood?" Avery asked wryly.

"What is wrong with you? Get ready to fight!" Gina yelled at them as the enemy thundered down toward the group of 39 people (including Aurora).

"Actually," Alexis said softly, "this should be over fairly quickly. They outnumber us by less than two to one."

It was, however, not the make-up of the enemy force that proved problematic – it was the terrain. Both Lizalfos and Tektites had no difficulty running all over the rough mountainside, but the Sheikah, Hylians, and human could only easily fight on the path. This allowed the creatures to surround the Hyrulian forces and attack from all sides. However much this put the fighters at a disadvantage, there was no denying the complete superiority of the non-monsters. The Tektites simply jumped at their targets, allowing for attacking them while they moved. The resilient bugs needed multiple fighters to take them down unless they were struck in the eye and blinded, rendering them easier to handle. Their thick carapace posed a problem for the Knights and Avery as well as about a half-dozen of the Sheikah, but Alexis's violet edge, Aurora's crackling blade, and anything imbued with Shadow powers (which Link found up made up the weapons of about two dozen of the Sheikah) cut through it with ease.

The Lizalfos were a slightly bigger problem. They were certainly more intelligent than Bulblins or Bokoblins, and their skills were not terribly shabby. Unfortunately for them, they were facing professionals who had devoted their lives to fighting. When the battle was over, every foe lay slain and nobody on Link's side had died, though there were four Sheikah who probably wouldn't be able to fight very well at least until they received medical attention and recuperated. Aaron also had a nasty gash on his right arm, rendering him unable to draw his bow.

The wounded were bandaged, and then the group was on its way again. As time went by, they came to understand just how infested the mountain was. The higher up they climbed, the more enemies that they encountered. Within two hours, it had become commonplace to see at least a half-dozen monsters within two hundred feet at any given time. This was in addition to the random caves of Dodongos that steadily crawled out across the path, breathing fire at the travelers, and the additional parties of Lizalfos or Tektites. By five o'clock, the volcano had finally erupted, spewing ash into the air and sending little streams of lava down the mountain in random directions. Volcanic globs of cooling lava rock blasted and landed on the mountainside, every so often striking the path and forcing a detour.

It was nearly seven when there was a horrible clattering rumble and they saw the rockslide. It was headed straight for them.

"Acolytes!" Dulle shouted. "Form perimeter! Shadow wall, deflection! Don't let the rocks hit the group!"

"Get in the middle of the group!" Sheik yelled at his companions over the rumble. "Where the Knights and the injured are! Gina and I will stay here at the edge with the other Sheikah!"

Avery, Alexis, and Link obeyed without question. As the cascade of boulders approached, all the uninjured Sheikah around the edges of the group stepped into identical stances. They weaved their arms in a short, intricate motion, then held them up above their heads as though they were holding something back. Their shadows, and the shadows of any nearby people of ledges, merged and stretched up from the ground, forming a wall that arched over the group like an angled dome. It didn't block the sight of the people inside, merely dimming their perception; it was translucent. The rock avalanche struck the shield and thundered around and over it, causing many of the Sheikah to exhibit signs of straining.

Aurora watched from beside Sheik, her eyes narrowed. This many people with Sage powers…something was fishy about the Sheikah. But that wasn't the important thing. No, the important thing is what she thought she might have caught a glimpse of though the gaps in the rocks as they tumbled past – a black figure far in the distance moving away from where the rockslide had come from. She wasn't going to mention it to the others, but she had a suspicion that the figure was two things – one, the cause of the disaster, and two, Dark Link.

Once the boulders and other stones had finally passed them by, the Sheikan blockers released the shadowy wall to fall back into its original form and fell to their knees. Only five of the Sheikah remained standing. One, Aurora noted, was Sheik. Unlike the others near him, he was showing only mild signs of weariness; he apparently had greater magical stamina than they did. Another was the leader of the group, Dulle, who also seemed nearly unfazed by the exercise. A light-brown-haired female Sheikah standing near Dulle, whom she thought she had heard Dulle call Sazra, stood as well. The remaining two standing Sheikah wore headscarves, so it was impossible for the sword spirit to tell anything about them from where she stood.

"You all right, Gina?" Sheik asked in a slightly concerned tone, glancing down at his kneeling and heavily-breathing friend. She turned her head to glare at him.

"My apologies, oh stunning one," he said with a grin, relieved that she was fine.

"Let's get moving again! Wounded, exhausted, move toward the center of the group!" Dulle called out. "Those still strong, stay around the outside! Sheik, Hero, Mercenary – to the front!"

In the shuffle to make the new formation, Aurora moved back to Link. When her partner, Avery, and Sheik had gotten up to the front near Dulle and Sazra, the latter said, "Listen up, Hero of Blades. We're most of the way there; barring any unusual circumstances or detours, we should reach the entrance to Goron City in three hours. It will be nearly impossible for you and your non-Sheikan companions to see by then, so you'll have to rely on us. Until it becomes too dark for visibility, try to remain at the front or wherever the highest concentration of enemies happens to be. We've been extremely lucky; there have been no casualties. But our fighting force is at less than half strength right now – eleven Acolytes and all the non-Acolytes are out of commission for reasons of injury or exhaustion, as well as three of the Knights. We cannot let our guard down; our strongest fighters have to be in the thick of things."

Link nodded. "Understood."

"Acknowledged," Avery replied.

Dulle looked over at Sheik. "Keep your mind focused," he advised. "Don't get distracted. You'll be the Hero's eyes in the coming dark. If you allow the Hero to fall, you'll be answering to Impa; you understand?"

Sheik nodded, his face grim, recognizing the threat of the death penalty. "Yes sir."

Wordlessly, the group continued their ascent of the ancient mountain. All previous friendly energy seemed to have vanished. The sky began to grow darker, and when they were still approximately a half-hour away from their destination Link finally acknowledged that he couldn't see well enough to do more than put one foot in front of the other.

"Don't worry about it," Sheik assured him, his red eyes glowing with little rings of purple around his irises. "I've got you covered. With Sage magic, I can see in the dark even better than Sheikah naturally can. We won't get blind-sided."

"And your glowing sword should help us to be able to fight, should it become necessary," Avery added.

"Name," Aurora said shortly. "I have one."

Sheik suppressed a snicker. "Does he always treat you with such disrespect, oh beauteous one?" he asked her.

"Yes," she replied, sticking her tongue out in Avery's general direction.

"Well –" Avery began, but he was cut off by a massive shaking roar that rocked the landscaped beneath them so hard that the Knights and several of the more injured Sheikah lost their footing. Link and Avery just barely managed to steady themselves, and Aurora, blessed with incorporeality, was unaffected. The night sky lit up brightly as a huge jet of lava several thousand feet across blasted straight up from the peak of Death Mountain. As the red-hot molten mess separated in the air and came raining down in all directions like a burning fountain, Link decided that Death Mountain was not, in fact, one of the places that had been inappropriately named. It truly lived up to its nickname – the Mountain of Fire.

"Oh Din," breathed Avery in a mixture of awe and horror, his eyes wide.

"Holy _daeisrin_…" Sheik whispered.

Link just gazed openmouthed.

"What in the name of the goddesses is _that?_" Aurora cried.

Around them, the rest of the miniature army was expressing their own shock, disbelief, and/or despair with gasps, groans, moans, and all manner of exclamations. They were far too close. It was a certainty that they would be struck by falling lava. And not only them. This eruption would run down the mountainside all the way to Kakariko. This was disaster.

"The Mountain of Fire shall be our burial place," Dulle said bitterly. "No one save the goddesses can stop that."

The group stood still and watched as the Sheikah was proved wrong in an amazing display. A tiny figure suddenly appeared in the air near the spreading and descending lava – at least, tiny from the perspectives of the viewers; the person was far enough away that he appeared nearly as small as a gnat. A strong voice that cut through the roar in a glorious echo proclaimed, "Nayru's Grand Barrier!"

The figure threw out its arms, and a shimmering translucent blue diamond-shaped barrier miles wide appeared surrounding the lava. The liquid rock struck it as the molten substance fell, running down the inside of the shield and back into the mountain through the very same hole it had come out of. The barrier lasted for precisely as long as the eruption, which was a short but solid five minutes. Once the shimmer of the barrier and glow of the rock disappeared, the world was once more plunged into darkness, leaving the company uncertain of the fate of the one who had cast the powerful spell. There was a stunned silence.

"Who…who was that?" Link asked aloud, voicing the thoughts of them all.

**END CHAPTER NINETEEN**

**COMING NEXT IN CHAPTER TWENTY: RUBY OF THE INFERNO**

When Link and company reach Goron City at last, they find that the true task still ahead of them is one that the extended entourage of the Shadow Folk cannot help the Hero to accomplish. But one more member wishes to join with the Hero's band, and his presence may turn the tide and save them all.


End file.
